Full text of "Vibe"
THE TUNNEL: ENTER HIP HOP'S MOST INFAMOUS HOT SPO
Hop on an iMar and in just ten minutes you could be surfing the internet and e-mailing everyone
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UN SPACE 30 YEARS 0
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i michael Jordan
SEND IN THE ATTACHED CARD OR WRITE, VIBE P.O.BOX 59580 BOULDER, CO 80322-9580
OF STAR TREK hZ YET UL KIM OR CALL US AT 1-800-477-3974
ONNA BEAT YOURO**! LIVE FROM THE JERRV SPRINGER SHCW
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RANDY
bbk-lidous
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J place
d%k » No.
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"This is my last
interview. If I
gel killed, I want
people to hav
the real story.
TUPAC
SHAKUR
J 1 ILHOU 8( EXCLUSIVE
IH) fill q It Kivm * ■
www. mecca usa .com
Features the Gold Single: Faded Pictures
Along with: Happily Ever After, Faded Pictures, Think of You, Caught You.
MM ott M M BraM| h
&L PUSHING THE ARTFORM
Pete Sampras: A Grand Slam legend.
5 Wimbledons. 2 Australian Opens.
4 US Opens. Number 1 ranking lennis
player in the world, six years straight. He's
writing history.
Movado: Maker of some of the most famous
timepieces in history. 99 patents. Over 200
international awards for design. Watches in
museums on five continents.
MACY'S
MOVADO WATCHES ARE EXHIBITED IN THE PERMANENT COLLECTIONS OF MUSEUMS WORLDWIDE
MOVADO
The Museum.Watch.
SWISS
www.movado.com
Why wait foT a change in scenery
when you can make youT own?
FEATURES
1 00 STATE OF MASE Mase has been around
the world .ind back. Bui as Minya Ob
learns, hip hop's huggable hero longs for
romance and loyalty.
Photographs by Man Baptiste
110 TREACHEROUS TRIO forge! what ya
heard! Illiown rap heroes Naughty by
Nature ain't going nowhere.
By Mail DM
Photographs by Andrew Soalbam
116 13 WAYS OF LOOKING AT A WHITEBOY
The success ot Detroit rap phenom
Eminem has folks all up in arms. Will a
Caucasian invasion ruin rap's "rcalncss"?
By Rob Kenncr.
Illustration by Joe Sorren
1 24 HOT SPOT Live from New York, it's
Sunday night at the Tunnel.
Photographs bp Alex Tehrani
• BOOGIE NIGHTS Sex. drugs, and
cuttin' the nig. The making, breaking, and
reshaping of the world's premiere hip hop
party. ByZevBorow
• MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OI
GOOD AND EVIL. Minya Oh braves the
witching hour-and lives to tell the tale.
142 PERMS, SCIENCE FICTION, AND HIP HOP
Eightball and MJG arc awful set in their
ways. Luckily, those ways are awful winning.
By Tony Green. Photographs by J on Gipc
ON THE COVER:
Mase photographed exclusively for VIBE by Marc Baptiste;
styling by Emil Wilbekin; prop styling by Denise Feltham;
grooming by Lawrence for Pure Elegance; makeup by Greg
Vaughn for L'Atelier; white cotton jersey by Pofo Jeans Co.
RALPH LAUREN; denim carpenter shorts by GUESS?;
models from left: Black nylon and spandex bikini by Dolce &
Gabbana; shoes by Kenneth Cole; black nylon bikini with blue
trim by Phat Farm; shoes by Patrick Cox; black nylon bikini by
Calvin Klein; shoes by Patrick Cox.
Face & Body: All makeup by M.A.C
ABOVE:
OZ's Wale photographed by Marc Baptiste; styling by Kadi
Agueros; gray cotton cargo pant by Enyce
TEST#53-R
PRODUCT: JERSEY.
INSPECTED BY:..^W...Xfi»K..MICKS.,
CO M IVI E NTS: . N «.^?}?* ;. . JfSSESS? 1 . . SSSSSS&SSh .
sweat absorbed.
1 48 VIBEFASHION: WIPE OUT
Delicious designs for surf and turf.
Photographs by Amaldo Anaya-Lucca.
Sly ling by Kadi Agiieros
1 5B VIBESTYLE: CRIMINAL MINDED
ThemenofHBO'sOZ.
Photographs by Marc Baptiste.
Styling by Emil Wilbekin
1 60 GEAR: Sunglasses.
IflBEFACE Britney Spears .
By Katina Lee.
Photograph by Brian Walsh.
Styling ly Emit Wilbekin
DEPARTMENTS
CONTRIBUTORS
SO SPEAK EASY
MAII
67 START
Smells like the wrong team colors.
By Peter Relic
Plus: High- and low-budget videos.
Good-bye, Dusty Springfield. Slanguistics.
Bulletproof world. Yaphet Kotto: a select
lilmography. Plus: Hard Knock
News: The Lost Boyz' Freaky
Tah murdered. Woody of Dru
Hill exits.
■jo SOUNDCHECK:
Wesley Snipes.
By Bobbito Garcia
72 VIBE LIVE: Chris Rock.
By Raqiyah Mays.
Photographs by Thomas Broening
76 VI BE CONFIDENTIAL:
VC's snaps on folks' clothing.
7 9 INTHEMIX:Clive
Davis's chi-chi shindig. Big
Poppa's black-tie benefit. Soul
Train Awards. By Kenya N. Byrd
84 DOMF.P1F.CE: Bobby Womack.
As told to Brent Fason
86 TUPH STREET: Deep cover.
By Bonz Malone
ABOVE: Mase photographed exclusively for VIBE by Marc Baptiste; styling by
Emil Wilbekin; prop styling by Denise Feltham; grooming by Lawrence lor Pure
Elegance; cream sleeveless nylon jersey by ECHO; white cotton T-shirt by
Sean John; cream carpenter jeans by GUESS?
28 V I
— —
naterial
TRINA&TAMARA
INCLUDES THE
BLAZIN' HIT
THE DEBUT ALBUM FROM
R&B'S HOTTEST NEW DUO
WHAT'D YOU
COME HERE FOR?
NOTHIN' NEW
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TIGHTER THAN EVER.
Their brand new album, "J he Wflhng'S ThE Wall."
featuring the sizzling first single, gj 1 1^ ESillS
HittirY stores and heatin' thangs up July 20
Executive producer: Mathew Knowles Management: Music World Management
Available at
ISBcfiflBEi COME INSIdT
COUMBIA
BOOKS . MUSIC . VIDEO, AND « CAFE .
Founder and Chairman
Quincy Jones
r* r\ i t~f~\ r"_ 1 n _ I ti 1 a r
C.U1 lUl lllM_Illt I
udiiyci o iiii ill
Managing Editor
Sarah Min
Music Editor
Sacha Jenkins
Editor-at-Large
Carter Harns
Senior Articles Editor
Jcannine Amber
Music Lifestyle Editor
Minya Oh
Senior Associate Editor
David Bry
Associate Music Editor
Sham Saxon
Associate Editor
Peter Relic
Copy Editor
Tcrri Prcttyman
Research Chiel
Ayana D. Byrd
Editorial Coordinator
Raqtyah Mays
Executive Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief
Jessy Klein
Assistant Editor
Rochell Thomas
Special Projects Editor
Leslie Granston
Contnbutmg Editor
Rob Kenner
Writers-at-Large
Gary Dauphin, Kathy Dobic,
Karen R. Good,
Chairman Mao, Greg Tate
r.tjitonal Assistants
Kenya N . Byrd a Shahcem Reid
Consigliere
Bonz M alone
Hollywood Correspondent
Mcpncn tceDeilo
Art Director
Dwayne Shaw
Director of Photography
George Pitts
Senior Designer
Brandon Kavulla
Associate Photo Editor
Duane Pyous
Design/Production Assistant
Mcegan Barnes
Art/ Photo Assistant
Leslie dcla Vega
Ph olograph ers-at- Large
Marc Baptiste, PiotrSikora
Fashion Director
Emil Wilbekin
Style Editor
Kadi Agueros
Sneaker Editor
Mimi Valdes
Face/ Fashion Coordinator
Katina Lee
Managing Editor, Media Ventures
Ron Richardson
Technical Manager
Michael Hauswirth
Online Editor
Jermaine Hall
Assistant Online Editor
Mark All wood
Editorial Director
Gilbert Rogin
e New Album.
features the hit single
"Tell Me Its Real"
iv.iM.ihk- .it:
WHEBEHOUSE
music
Contributors
Harry Allen, Craigh Barboza, Manola Dargis, Greg Donaldson,
Michael Eric Dyson, Bobbito Garcia, Elysa Gardner, Nelson George,
Deborah Gregory, Randi Glatzer, dream hampton, James Hunter, Lisa Jones,
Amy Linden, Robert Morales, Mike Sager, Cristina Vfcran, Marc Weingarten,
Harry Wcinger, Jason Whidock, Elliott Wilson, Joe Wood, Knstal Brent Zook
Photographers
Lorenzo Agius, Guy Aroch, Butch Belair, Walter Chin, Davide Cemuschi,
Barron Claiborne JeffDunas, Exum, Larry Fink, Sarah A. Friedmanjayson Keeling, Phil Knott,
Dah Len, Dana Lixenberg, Arnaldo Anaya-Lucca, Tiziano Magni, Jonathan Mannion, Robert
Maxwell, Melodic McDaniel, Erin Patrice O'Brien, Katharina Orne, John Peng, JefTRiedel,
Nina Schultz, Taryn Simon, Tajima, Alex Tehrani, Mpozi Mshale Tolbert, Tony Ward,
Andrew Williams, Everard Williamsjr., Dan Winters, Christian Witkin
Freelance Copy/Research/ Art/Editorial
Tim Durland, Andrew Gillings, Kevin Giordano
Interns
Abigail Addis, Elizabeth Bruneau, Tecora Davis, Brent Fason,
Jocelyn Goldstein, Debbie Guirand
Digital Imaging by Icon Communications
ft
Subscription requests, address changes, and adjustments should be directed to
VIBE, Box 59580, Boulder, CO 80322-9580
www.vibe.com
36 V I B a
Copy
President and CEO Keith T. Clinkscales
Publisher John Rollins
Amid ate Publ inIii i
Advertising Gener.il Manager
Fashion Advertising Director
National Music Sales Director
Sportswear Manager
Corporate Accounts Director
Senior Corporate Accounts Manager
New England Travel Manager
Beauty and Fragrance Manager
Advertising Services Manager
Executive Assistant to the President and CEO
Executive Assistant to the Publisher
Advertising Coordinator
Advertising Assistants
Leonard E. Bumettjr.
feanineTriolo
Mark Eckstrom
Jameel Haasan Spencer
Beth Gillies
Robin Gibson
Mathew Pressman
Junny Ann Hibbcrt
Abigail Marcus
Alccia Ward
Elaine Porcher
Michelle Tcnnant
Alma Lopez
Ibmika L Anderson, Rencc Donanen.Jcffrey Mazzacano,
Warner 'Akira' Saunders Jr., Shirley Vasquez, Nolcwe-Asi Ward
Markciuig Manager
Marketing Coordinator
Marketing Research Director
Research Analyst
Events Director
Assistant Events Manager
Creative Services Art Director
Director of Communications
Fred T. Jackson
Kim Ford
Belle C. Fu
Susan Waldman
Karia Y.Radford
Ahna Biddle
Fernando Mancuello
Audrey Addison
Executive Vice President/GM Anne Welch
Circulation Director DanaSacJher
Newsstand Director
Subscription Manager
Fulfillment Manager
Newsstand Associate
Circulation New Business Coordinator
Newsstand Coordinator
Circulation Assistant
Michelle Sheidlower
Leslie Guarnieri
Susan Young
Holly Drawbaugh
Ilene Burros
Dcrrial T. Christon
Randolph Walkerjr.
Production Director Ryan Jones
Production Manager
Production Manager
Advertising Production Coordinator
Executive Vice Presidcnt/CFO
Accounts Manager
Financial Manager
Executive Assistant to the EVP/GM
Oris D'Amil
Collins Njoku
Maria Raha
Halina Fcldsott
Dawn Labriola
Theodore Hatwood
Felicia M. Gordon
New V! 1 1 k Advertising Sale*
Southern California Advertising Sales
Pacific Southwest Sales Director
Southern California Account Manager
Sales Assistant
Pacific Northwest Advertising Sales
Pacific Northwest Sales Director
Sales Assistant
Midwest Advertising Sales
Midwest Sales Manager
Classified Manager
Sales Assistant
Classified Assistant
Detroit Advertising Sales
Detroit Advertising Representative
Sales Assistant
European Advertising Sales
European Advertising Representative
aij Lexington Avenue New \t)ik. NY 10016
1212)448-7300; tax (212)448-7400
monSanu Monica Bfcd, 6th Hoor Los Angela, CA 4002s
(310) 893-5300; fax 0>o> *°3M58
Ron Williams
Manan Enslcy
Meegan Daly
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(415) 391-9770; *« <4<_M 39>-977i
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Lisa Hartigan
$03 East Ohio Street, 23rd Floor 1 . tut jri >. I L 6o6u
(312! 321-7908; fax (312) 321-7016
Jennifer Hill
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850 StephcnMjn Hwy. Suite 322 Tmy. Ml 48083
<aj8) ymW- ilx 577-.S55 8
Paige Pfcffcr
Megan Moore
I B. Media Sri, Puna Sant'Erauno 1 Mitanu 20121, Italy
1 39-02) 2901-3427; fax (J9-Q2) 2901 3491
Jeffrey Byrnes
Director of Business Development Gary R. Lewis
Director of Media Ventures Nathan Misncr
Director of Operations. Media Ventures Reggie Miller
Media Ventures Sales. Executive Leslie Sokolowsky
Office Manager Julie Evans-Als
Mailroom Manager Rigoberto Gomez
VIBE/SPIN Ventures
Quincy Jones, Robert L. Miller, David Salzman, Keith T. Oinkscalct. John Rollins, Gilbert Rngin
Copyr
COMING THIS SUMMER
look ouc for the blazin' singles
HE CAN'T LOVE U , LET'S GET MARRIED and PROMIS E.
Executive Producer: Jermaine Dupri for So So Def Productions
iiiij viiiv 9'P'Off
Columbia Reg U S Pat A Tin 0*1 Marca Registrada I O 1999 A Jotnl Venture between Sony Music Entertainment Inc and So So Del Recordings tnc
www sosodel net
www coiumbiarecords com
BENSON & HEDGES
100 NIGHTS LIVE!
DALLAS/FT. WORTH HOUSTON
LOS ANGELES & SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
June 17 - July 11
ATLANTA NEW ORLEANS WASHINGTON, D.C.
September 9 - October 3
$10,000.
SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Cigarette
Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide.
NO
III I Q
piib nation stands for "post no bills",
the tenn "post no bills" means, "do not put up advertisements", we have
used this term as a metaphor for, individuals to not put up false images
of themselves, but to represent whoever they are. from day one,
this has been the guiding principle of our collection.
rem naTh in cix/niiKG
www.pnbnation.com
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HAIR REMOVER
Don't be a shave slave.
THE GUEST LIST
One of VIBE's founding editorial fathers. Rob Kenner. 32. held a place on staff
from 1 994 to 1 998. Now serving as a contributing editor, and working from
his home in the Hinterlands, Kenner has more time to dedicate to his own writing.
This month, he uses 13 different viewpoints to analyze white-hot rapper
Eminem ("1 3 Ways of Looking at a Whiteboy," page 1 1 6). "It's a trip when you
realize that your passion has bit you on the ass." he says. "A lot of white people
get into hip hop hoping to lose themselves; instead it shows you how to see
yourself in the harshest light."
Joe Sorren has been drumming for his group, Lyle and the Sparkleface Band,
for 1 0 years now. For just as long, though, the Chi-Town native has been
bringing famous folks to life in his paintings. Sorren has previously put in
work for Warner Bros, and Atlantic Records. The New Yorker, and Rolling
Stone. This issue, VIBE brought the 28-year-old Phoenix-based artist aboard
to depict Caucasian sensation Eminem. What's a VIBE contributor doing
without a nickname? "I've had a few," says the far-from-average Joe. "Fucker.
Bastard, but none have ever stuck with me."
At 28. Alex Tehrani has already seen enough of the planet to last a lifetime. The all-
star VIBE contributing lensman has snapped shots of several world leaders and
was an Eisenstaedt award runner-up for his photo essay of Atlanta's Freaknik ["Freak
Out," October 1998]. More recently, his work was displayed in VIBE's April Def Jam
feature ["Bigger and Deffer." by Chairman Mao). This month, Tehrani put in major
work, including lugging his heavy equipment around the crowded Tunnel nightclub,
just so you could feel the scene ("Hot Spot." page 1 24). But don't shed any tears for
Tehrani — the assignment wasn't that bad. "Worst-case scenario, " he says, "if there
was nothing to photograph, I would just put my equipment down and enjoy the music."
"It's easy to write about hip hop." says VIBE regular Tony Green, "once you don't
recognize boundaries in music." Having played "gee-tar" for three decades now. Green's
sawy about all sorts of styles. Now living in Jacksonville, Fla., the 38-year-old scnbe
grew up in Yonkers, where his father taught social studies at Longfellow Middle
School (Mary J. Blige was one of his students). Green has held down a steady gig at
the Florida Times Union for the past three years; his work has been featured on the
pages of VIBE for just as long. For our special summer issue, he balled-out with south-
ern players Eightball and MJG ("Perms, Science Fiction, and Hip Hop," page 142).
What was that like? Green sums it up like this: "A lot of weed and a lot of soul food."
MEAN TINE tIEEN
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL
"She was raaiiised in Illinois. Right outside of Chicaaago." But make
no mistake, music lifestyles editor Minya Oh has been a full-fledged
Harlem World representative since '91 . It was there, four years
later, that she first met aspiring rap star and fellow Harlemite Murder
Mase. "I remember him trying to kick it to me in front of Mart 1 25,"
says Oh, now 26. "He was just as arrogant as he is now. but he was
also just as adorable." The two have become such good buddies
that the cuddly rapper was willing to share all his secrets for
Oh's first VIBE cover story, "State of Mase" (page 1 00). This issue,
Minya also puts us up on the hottest new producers in her monthly
column, Oh, Word?, edits — as always — the TV/Books/Tech
section, and gives us the inside story on her favorite hot spot.
Manhattan's legendary Tunnel. "I'm aTunnel veteran, "says Oh.
"Fortunately. I don't have the scars to prove it."
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r 1 \ I I r j rj
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From the Player's Suite to FILA on your feet, VIBE parties were the place to be this spring!
If you want to know who was in the house, scan these flicks.
1. FILA and VIBE hosted a party to show their
spankin' brand-new spring collection at a secret
loft spot in New York City. Supplying the spirits
were William Jackson, assistant state manager-
metro NY, Seagram; Matt Pressman, corporate
accounts manager, VIBE; and Howe Burch, senior
v.p. of advertising & communications, FILA USA. Inc.
2. Among the celebs in the front row were Malik
Yoba, Pras of the Fugees. Damon. Shawn and
Marlon Wayans, and Puff Daddy, shown here chat-
ting with Elliot Betesh, president, Dr, Jay's.
3. Between the show and sipping on Absolut.
Miller Genuine Draft and Miller Lite. Matt
Pressman caught up with (l-r): Jon Epstein, presi-
dent & CEO, FILA USA, Inc.: Keith Clinkscales.
president & CEO. VIBE; and John Connelly, execu-
tive director, entertainment marketing and promo-
tions. FILA USA, Inc.
4. If it has to do with playas. you know Martell
has to be in the mix. The Motor City's Roostertail
club was home to Martell's traveling Player's Suite
this spring. Hosted by Frankie Darcell. the event
was attended by WJLB FM staff (shown here).
Lucky attendees were serenaded by soul-singing
siblings KCi, (shown here) and JoJo.
5. Party planner extraordinare David Watkins (far
left) of Icon Lifestyle Marketing, pulled together the
fabulous affair with a little help from Robin Gibson,
corporate accounts director, VIBE, and Bill Cherrie,
of Seagram's America.
6. Laurent Martell of the T.J. Martell family and
Jennifer Crowl from Seagram's had a wonderful
evening at the Player's Suite.
7. Laurent Martell showin' how players play
8. The Martell girls sparkled while handing out
smokes to compliment the Martell.
9. VIBE brought a little New York flavor to the
Cosmetics Fragrance and Toiletries Association
convention at the Boca Raton Beach Resort in
Florida with a pumpin' party! Coolin' out at the
"Hot Spot" were (l-r): Len Burnett, associate pub-
lisher. VIBE. Butch Beard, former New York Knick,
Clarence Smith, president. Essence, and John
Rollins, publisher, VIBE.
10. Also enjoying the VIBE party at CTFA was
Katina Lee, face/beauty coordinator. VIBE, (shown
here with Abigail Marcus) who stole a hug from
Len Burnett.
11. Just when they thought the night was over.
Abigail Marcus and Len Burnett and friends waxed
the dance floor one more time.
Photos by:
(1-3) Johnny Nunez
(5-8) Courtesy of Martell
(9-11) Ahna Biddle
"I revolutionized this industry. Every time
Ricki Lake says the word 'penis' on trie air,
you have me to thank."
— Howard Stern, at the convention for the National Association ot Television
Programming Executives
"We never have anything on our show that's as dram-
as what they have on soap operas. There is far more sex,
infidelity, promiscuity, and murder on the soaps .... What
makes our show different is that this is the first time we ' ve
seen it with real people. It's just that the [soap] people ar
beautiful, so no one complains! "
— Jerry Springer, dlsslng his guests (7V Guide online)
"Unless you are going to kill people on the air, and not just hi
them on the head with chairs.and unless you are going to have
sexual intercourse — and not just, as I saw the other day, a guy
pulling down his pants and pulling out his penis— then then
comes a point when you have oversaturated yourself."
— Oprah on Jerry (London's Sunday rimes)
"All of us have been forced to put whites on our shows this
season .... It's not our network.... There was never an outcry
to put nobody [African-American] on Home Improvement or
Friends, but all of a sudden I gotta have whites on The Steve
Harvey Show for it to kick. That Isn't true, but that's the state
America is in. All I can do is try to be a player in the game."
—Steve Harvey at the MAACP Image Awards
"I never look at myself and think, Damn what a good-look-
ing guy— that face deserves to be on TV It's usually, Jesus, l'v<
got a globe for a head. Look at all the extra flesh on my neck!"
— Andy Richter, from Lafe Night With Conan O'Brien, on personal affirmation (Us]
U A landlord named Roper / Did a show at the Copa /
When I'm finished with this / I'll be paid like Oprah'
—Brand Nubian's Grand Puba on "All for One'
editor's choice
"Life is difficult."
—The first line of M. Scott Peck's 1986 The Road Less Traveled (Simon &
Schuster). It's sold more than 5 million copies.
from the i/JijijVdult
APRIL 1998
"When Brandy talks about Mase, her words begin
to cometogetherfastlikethis. She gets all excited
and exaggerated and Sheneneh-boo. 'I'm a big fan
of Mase. A huge fan. I want to do a song with Mase
so bad! It's like Mase is kinda like me, laid-back.'"
—Karen R. Good, quoting Mase's supposed ex-boo Brandy
50 V I I ■
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Considered the UPI for urban music, vibewire is dedicated to
providing the industry's latest news with daily updates three
times a day. Be the first to know what's going on in the enter-
tainment world.
Want to find out what makes you favorite entertainers tick?
Our in-depth features dissect them and provide you all the
answers.
LjINK
I DON'T WANNA dtt
Link
Phil Storm
Krazie Bone
Tevin Campbell
Juvenile
Quincy Jones Shae Jones
at www.vibe.com/ontracks
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Yes, I do love him ("You Must Love
Him, by Harry Allen, April 1999].
The conversation between Harry
Allen andJay-Z really blew me away.
As always, Jay was sincere and
I only recently started listening to
Jay-Z, but after seeing him light up
the stage on the Hard Knock Life
tour and reading about him in
VIBE, 1 love him already. Whether
he's performing, recording in the
studio, or talking to a joumalist.Jay
does everything with heart and
passion. Brooklyn's finest reigns
supreme.
Michelle
Moncks Comer, SC
I've changed my whole perception
of Jay-Z. He's nothing like the arro-
gant rap star I thought he was. I'm
glad to see there's some honesty left
in the hip hop community. I was so
impressed by how candid his
answers were that I had to run out
and purchase his latest CD. I only
hope his acting skills are not as great
JAY-Z IS ONE IF THE WACKEST MCS OUT
THERE .... PUNKS LIKE HIM SHOULDN'T
RHYME, THEY SHOULD OE ACTORS.
poignant. I was surprised to read
about the respect he has for women
and the love he has (brother rappers.
But what's most admirable about
him is his ability to change from street
hustler to king of hip hop. No need
to ask who I'm wit-it'sjig-gaaaa.
Kena Vance
Chicago, 1L
Ain't no love here! Jay-Z is one of the
wackest MCs out there. His music
doesn't reflect any spirit or creativity.
He's just another one of those rappers
that talks about how much money he
has. Punks like him shouldn't rhyme,
they should be actors.
Anthony Garcia
Atascader, CA
I was ecstatic to see Jay-Hova on
VIBE's cover. It's upsetting to hear
others complain about howjigga
only flows about materialistic things.
The man has earnedhis possessions.
Why not flash the ice or rhyme about
the whip? Look how far he's come.
Jay, please continue to bless the mike
until the day you rest.
Crystal Alexander
Lafayette, LA
as his MC skills. If they are, he's
fooled us all.
T.J.Maxx
Brooklyn, NY
The VIBE Q_seemed more like a
police interrogation than an inter-
view. Why did the conversation
have to center around Jay's past affil-
iation with the druggame? Was the
media assassin trying to assassinate
Jay's character? We don't love "Ice-
berg Slim" because of how he used
to live, we love him because of the
person he has become and the
music he puts out— ya heard!
Asalan
Schenectedy, NY
JAM FOB WE
Thank you for the flattering article
about Defjam ["Bigger and Deffcr,"
by Chairman Mao, April 1999].
However, I have to say that it was
misleading in terms of the creative
input I have had with my artists over
the years. It's not true that I pro-
moted and exploited a bunch of
other creative people. I resent being
referred to as a promoter. I spent
years living in recording studios,
MAI.
helping to write and produce songs,
much in the same way Puffy and
Master P do today. I also assisted in
creating images and marketing
many artists. I created a significant
part of the culture that pays your
bills. Check the credits on many of
the songs that changed your life,
and you'll find this to be true.
Russell Simmons
Def Jam/Rush Communications
I was saddened to see that Defjam,
which I'd been a loyal fan of all these
years, has lost its integrity and
become another money-hungry
record label. Russell Simmons and
Lyor Cohen get no respect for pro-
moting MCs that only talk about
fat bankrolls and iced-out jewelry. I
agree with Rick Rubin's opinion
that rappers are too caught up in
cashing in on hip hop's success
rather than furthering the art of
making music.
Adam Frechette
West Springfield, MA
When I used to see the Defjam
logo, I envisioned house parties, ill
MCs, and head-banging beats. Now
when I see that same logo, all I can
think of is Cuban cigars, cell
phones, and Cristal. The label I
YOUR BEST SHOT
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>
loved has become greedy and ma-
terialistic. They kicked musical
innovators like Public Enemy to the
curb for no-talent, image-driven acts
like DMX and Foxy Brown. Russell
and Lyor, what are you guys doing?
You need to dig deep into your cat-
alog and listen to PE's It Takes a
Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back.
Ahmed
Washington, D. C.
1 was at work, minding my business,
reading VIBE ("Pistol Whipped,"
by Denene Millner, April 1999],
when all or sudden I had an urge to
kick someone's ass. The statement
"No matter what state you're in,
everybody knows that a black man
plus a gun equals a criminal" proves
racism still lives next door. I don't
know what grassy knoll this person
just walked off, but anybody who
believes such bullshit needs the
ignorance kicked out of them. Last
time 1 checked, white men and
women shoot people too.
Candace King
Baltimore, MD
Editor j note : The statementyou 're refer-
ring to [page uj/was made by a black
police officer in reference to the perception
ofblackmen.
Your article was a sad testimony to
what our children define as
courage. These hooligans with
speech impediments don't have a
clue what true power is. Back in the
day when I was growing up, the
weapon of choice for defense was
the same thing you prayed
with . . .your hands. The new school
should learn from us.
CJ old school
Glenarden, MD
It's a shame that your own brother
is quick to stick you up. They might
as well be working for the KKK. 1
agree with the rappers who carry
guns. I don't have half the loot they
VIBE's recent story on rappers get-
ting busted for guns hurt me to the
core. It was totally irresponsible and
especially unfair to OP Dirty Bas-
tard. Although he was innocent of
the charges, he was made to look like
a criminal. You guys stooped to the
level of the mainstream media who
love to show black men being led
away in handcuffs. I expected more
from a magazine that professes to
love hip hop.
M ichael Robinson
Jamaica, NY
HWWYBUBMUI
After reading your article on The
Rock [Quickie, by Gabrielle L.
"people's elbow." Get a date on your
own time. Last time I checked,
Quincy Jones started VIBE, not
Hugh Hefner.
C. Sanders
St. Louis, MO
I DUN EVER
Congratulations to VI BE for hav-
ing the courage and common sense
to recognize the anniversary of
Notorious B.I.G.'s death two years
in a row ("Still Missing Big Poppa,"
by MisterCee as told to Minya Oh,
April 1999). March 9, 1999 not only
marked two years since his death,
but it was my son's third birthday.
As I lit the candles on his birthday
THAT'S LIKE ASKING, WHAT BUSINESS DOES TYRA BANKS HUE IN ADS
FOR VICTORIA'S SECRET? PEOPLE OF ALL RACES ENJOY PRETTY
PANTIES, JRST AS flffl? HMFLOVES FLY MOSK AND HOT MAGAZINES.
have, but I have the same mentality.
I'll be damned if I let some chump
off the street take what's mine. Like
the saying goes, "I'd rather be
judged by 12 than carried by six."
Mrs. Shawn Simms
Marietta, GA
BLACK
Gabrielle, April 1999], I have two
questions. Can you guys give us a
bigger article on pro wrestling? And,
at the end of the interview, did
Gabrielle get a piece of The Rock?
With all the talk about sex, it seemed
like she wanted to "rock his world,"
if you smell what I'm cooking.
Deirdre Gannon
Buffalo, NY
That interview with wrestling stud
Dwayne "The Rock"Johnson was
so hot. You asked all the right ques-
tions. I knew he had to be biracial,
but I didn't know what he was
mixed with. Next time, could you
please interview Steve Austin? He's
"Stone Cold" sexy, and I would
love to lay the smack down on him.
Leslie K. Chatman
Piano, TX
When your "roody pooh candy"
asses interview someone, don't let
hormones get in the way. Here you
are interviewing a major superstar,
and all you can do is flirt? As a
wrestling fan, I don't care what slow
songs The Rock listens to or what
the hardest part of his body is. Cats
like me want to know whether he
gets injured after taking so many
falls and how he conceived the idea
for the "people's eyebrow" and
cake, I couldn't help but think of
hip hop's great loss. Through
reminders like your article and the
occasional name-drops in songs,
Biggie a;/// live forever. When we
teach our children to aspire to
greatness, we need to teach them
our history, or it's doomed to
repeat itself.
Cam "Lovely "Remmert
Albany, NY
Another article on Biggie? It seems
like he's in VIBE every month. Yes
he did his thing, but are we forgetting
that two rap legends were taken away
from us? Tupac was just as talented
and touched just as many people, but
do we see him all over VIBE? When
is he going to get bis tribute?
Natalie Johnson
Atlanta, GA
mnsutjb
Y'all need to reevaluate who
bounced first (Start Opener, by
Minya Oh with David Bry, April
1999]. You failed to mention Cru-
cial Conflict. The video for "Hay"
definitely set bounce off People like
Juvenile are only following in Cru-
cial's footsteps. Give Crucial the
recognition they deserve. Hee-haw!
Asalani Barkley
Scbedity, NY
f
f
V
V
V
I want to thank Minya Oh and
David Bry for writing the arti-
cle on the bounce. People have
never thought of southerners as
creators of hot music. Hope-
fully now when people think of
the dirty South they'll realize
we are major contributors to
hip hop.
Kalhy Bryant
Prentiss, MS
It's cool to recognize the South
as inventing bounce, but there's
more to us than ass-shaking
music. You guys need to dig
deep and take notice of artists
like Trick Daddy, A.D., and
MC Lyte and Chuck D need to
grow up. Contrary to what they
think, hip hop journalists are not
here to make artists feel better.
VIBE is no different from other
publications in the fact that they
are obligated to inform and in
some cases give opinions.
"When We Were Kings" [by
Elliott Wilson, February 1999]
pointed out a simple fact of life.
You old schoolers are not as hot
as you used to be. While some of
the artists mentioned in the arti-
cle may not want to admit that
their day in the sun has passed,
the stats don't lie. It's better to go
out gracefully than fool your-
ITS GOO. TB RECOGNIZE THE SOUTH U
INVENTING BOUNCE, BUT THERE'S MORE
TO US THAN ASS-SHAKING MUSIC.
First Platoon. Everybody down
here is not on that Luke vibe.
Just because we're country
doesn't mean we're not street.
Dtrick
Pompano Beach, FL
Big up and reeeespect to Boom
Shots [by Rob Kenner, April
1999] . I was very excited to see
Rob Kenner delving into the
world of dub poetry. Muta and
Linton are most definitely great
subjects to start with. Not many
know about dub poetry. Please
continue to school people.
Aisha D'Aguilar
Covington, GA
Editor's note: Check out theJuSMuta-
baruka and Linton Kwesi Johnson
inlerviewatvrww.vibe.com.
UT ME FIND NT
I'm glad Lyte put you in your
place [Letters, April 1999] . She's
been rocking shows since she was
12 years old. I should know— I
was the first MC to bring her on
stage. With all the dues she's
paid, comparing her to anyone
is ludicrous. That only shows
you have the hip hop knowledge
of an inchworm. VIBE needs to
apologize to all the rappers it dis-
respected.
Just-Ice
Bronx, NY
selves into thinking you're still
relevant. Your legacies in the
annals of hip hop are still secure.
Don't tarnish them by trying to
hold on to a dormant career.
Darryn Simmons
Montgomery, AL
The question Steve Williams
asked [Letters, April 1999]
"what do a pair of pasty-faced
Caucasian models have to do
with the hip hop world covered
by VIBE," was ignorant as hell.
That's just like asking what busi-
ness does Tyra Banks have in
ads for Victoria's Secret? Peo-
ple of all races enjoy pretty
panties and silky nighties, just
as everyone loves fly music and
hot magazines.
Eden Briscoe
Tustin, CA
Brittany Price of Suffolk, Va.,
claimed she was offended by
the tide "Stricdy for My Wiggaz"
[by Stephan Talty, February
1999]. Maybe I'm not the
smartest person in the world, but
it took me a long time to under-
stand why any white person
would be offended by such a
term. I'm a white kid very much
in love with hip hop culture,
and I would never consider
myself a wigger. That word only
pertains to whites who do things
\
90 ¥ I ■ ■
D&G
DOLCE t GABBANA
O C C H I A L I
such as dress from head to toe
in Tommy wear, blast Master P,
and pack heat in a bubble goose
just to be accepted by the
African-American community.
So, Ms. Price, if this pertains to
you, you should paint "wigga"
down your back.
Ian "DJ-e" Kowaleski
Ocean City, MD
CRM' UP
I was thrilled when I reached 20
Questions [March 1999] and
read "Couldn't you go for some
Crackerjacks right about now?"
I hope that you get as much
pleasure munching on Cracker
Jacks as I do reading your mag-
azine every month. Thanks for
recognizing that Crackerjacks
are timeless. No matter where
you are when you eat them,
they instantly take us back in
the day.
Pierre Bernard Delia
Frito-Lay, New Ventures
Dallas, TX
GflVHffiD IN SILKK
Big up to VIBE for being the first
to put that fine Silkk the Shocker
on a magazine cover this year
["Shockk Treatment," by Jeff"
Mao, March 1999] . His props are
long overdue. Though he's a sex
symbol, he remains well
grounded. Being humble is so
sexy (his good looks don't hurt
either).
Chiante Jones
St. Louis, MO
I salute your team for keeping
VIBE hip, edgy, and carrying
music into a place no other mag-
azine has gone. Your covers are
usually provocative and sexy, so
you can imagine my surprise
when I saw the appalling Silkk
and Master P cover. I was re-
pulsed by the anger in their eyes
and violent body language. Do
we really need to see more
photos depicting angry black
men? Why would you guys
deviate from the beautiful
images we love you for?
Shanin Page Molinaro
Los Angeles, CA
I haven't seen any entertainer
get more criticism in your
magazine than Master P. Why
does the public hate him so
much? He and the No Limit
soldiers have done nothing but
entertain folks and make
money. Enough is enough!
VIBE needs to do a better job
with handling the negativity
toward No Limit.
T.Pyane
Washington, D.C.
1 have a question for all these
disgruntled rappers who seem to
believe that they are getting a
raw deal from the media. Why
is it that when you hear a few
bad things about your music
from hip hop media you
respond with threats and acts of
violence? But when mainstream
media say far more damaging
and inaccurate things you sud-
denly become deaf, dumb, and
blind? Do your fans a favor:
Grow up and get rid of your
ghetto mentality.
Chris Paul
Houston, TX
Am I the only one who's con-
fused by the Roots? Every time
I seetheirvideoonMTVorBET
I get excited. I sing along with
Erykah, "If you are worried
about where / I've been or who
I saw..." But there is one thing
that takes away from the video.
I don't know what the hell is
going on. Does anyone?
Taheerah Gilreatb
Berkley, CA
CORRECTIONS
• Last month's edition of Oh,
Word? listed Mary J. Blige's
record label as MCA/Uni-
versal. It is actually MCA.
• Last month's In the Mix
photo No. 6 was taken by
Nana Bandoh.
VIBE encourages mail and photographs
from readers. Please send tetters toVtBE
MAIL* 215 Lexington Avenue, 6th Floor,
New York , NY 1001 6 (include your day-
time phone number) . Or send e-mail to
vibe9vibe.com. Send photos to VIBE
YOUR BEST SHOT (same address).
Include your full name, address, and
daytime phone number. Letters may
be edited for length and clarity. Photo
submissions will become the property
of VIBE and will not be returned.
FEATURING MY FAVORITE GIRL
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CALLIGRAPHY ARE TRADEMARKS OWNED BY Vi
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STORES MAY 11™
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EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: MASTER P
RECORDS
DOUBLE-CROSS COLORS
The navy pinstripes of the New York Yankees. The people-eatin' purple of the
Minnesota Vikings. The Boston Celtics' shamrockin' green. Team identity indi-
visible from team colors. A true fan sports the very same Celtics jersey Dwayne
Schintzius does while bricking an eight-foot jumper. You know, representing for
your team! Lately, though, the tint 's gotten twisted. Try on this reality:
Chicago White Sox shirts in blood red. Banana yellow L.A. Dodgers jerseys.
How 'bout N.W.A (circa 1 988) rocking fuchsia Raiders caps?
These days, you can find sports gear emblazoned with your favorite team's
logo in every color of the rainbow. But when I see kids in puffy jackets wearing
Kelly green caps with a red Yankees logo, I think, What the frappe is that? (Answer
mad loot for the fashion-forward world of athletic gear.) The theory behind this
chromatic infidelity is, of course, that it permits the consumer the luxury of repping
his or her favorite team and, at the same time, coordinating a super-fly ensemble
in any color at all. But in my Cleveland-lovin', sports-crazed mind, a bright-
orange Indians cap wouldn't represent my team, lt d represent blasphemy! And
it would be indicative of the increasing disrespect that the sports world has for
its own traditions.
The rampant disregard for team colors symbolizes a much greater evil than
fashion faux pas. Agents and athletes are grossly abusing free agency and arbi-
tration. Owners are buying themselves championship-caliber rosters only to sell
them off the following yean players bounce from one team to the next like they're
playing hopscotch; and they've even phased out crowd-inspiring organists in favor
of prerecorded jock rock. I cannot be Roy G. Ambivalent about this! It's con-
sumerism over class!
It's rumored that Alfred Hitchcock, noting the natural human aversion to blue
food, would throw lavish dinner parties and dye all the food blue, then sit back and
watch his guests disinterestedly picking at their otherwise delicious meals.
When it comes to sports gear, changing the color sours the taste. If, when pro
football re-emerges in Cleveland next year, I see that my beloved Browns are
blue, surely I will be too. Peter Relic
Money
The bigger the budget
the better the video f
From the Hollywood hugeness
of Will Smith's "The Wild
Wild West" to the keep-it-real-
ism of Common's "1999" to the
inspired "roots-fi" radicalism of
Roots Manuva's "Juggle Tings
Proper," here's the breakdown on
three new video productions widi
very different end results.
Man in white: Will Smith on set
ARTIST: Will Smith
SONG: "The Wild Wild West"
(Columbia), which samples Stevie
Wonder's 1976 "I Wish" (Motown)
DIRECTOR: Paul Hunter, who has
worked with Puffy and Lenny Kravitz
BUDGET: "At least* $1 million
FORMAT: 35 mm
LOCATIONS: Warner Bros, studio lot, Hollywood's Pantages Theater
IN THE MAKING: Three to four weeks of preproduction, seven days
filming, six weeks postproduction and editing; top hip hop choreographer
Fatima Robinson worked moves with 40 dancers for a final day of film-
ing devoted to a single "Thriller'-esque sequence
CAMEOS: Kool Moe Dee, Babyface, Stevie Wonder, Enrique Iglesias, Larenz Tate, Salma Hayek, Dru Hill
WHAT IT'S ABOUT: "The Wild Wild West* is the theme for the summer movie of the same name; video action sequences
take place in the Atrium, the lair of the villain, Dr. Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh), where the kidnapped Rita Escobar
(Salma Hayek) is rescued by James West (Will Smith).
FROM THE DIRECTOR'S MOUTH: "Will and I got together in Aspen in January and skied and talked about the
[video's] narrative. Will's words were, 'I'm humbly at your service-I'm with you, dog.' My favorite movie is Raiders of the
Lost Ark, the adventure and romance style of it is an influence.*
ARTIST: Common featuring Sadat X
SONG: "1999" (Rawkus)
DIRECTORS: Betsy Blakemore and Jasone
BUDGET: $80,000
FORMAT: 35 mm
LOCATION: All shot outdoors in Brooklyn and
downtown Manhattan
■ in ■ nt mNisinu: Two days shooting, two days editing
Iff"*" A CAMEOS: Talib Kweii, Harold Hunter, Sadat X (Brand Nubian), Jeru the Damaja,
^t^^fl Black Thought (the Roots)
— I IT'S ABOUT: Color sequence of present-day hip hop party zooms into black-
^dtM I and-white sequences of Common as a '6os-era Black Panther.
I FROM THE DIRECTOR'S MOUTH: "The video begins with Kweli and Harold
I walking in front of a big graffiti mural that Chino from Zoo York put up. On budgets
like this it's people giving a lot of themselves because they love hip hop."
ARTIST: Roots Manuva
SONG: "Juggle Tings Proper* (Big Dada/Ninja Tune)
DIRECTOR: Richard Anthony
BUDGET: $2,500
FORMATS: Sony DV for time-lapse sequences, 16 mm for performance shots
LOCATION: A basement in Shoreditch, East London
IN THE MAKING: Two days shooting, three weeks editing and postproduction
CAMEO: Riz Maslen (Neotropic)
WHAT ITS ABOUT: Roots Manuva's Jamaican-cadenced rhymes and a female mad scientist's underground beat-tinkering
make buildings shake and the sky change colors.
FROM THE DIRECTOR'S MOUTH: "My inspiration comes from the weirdo page of the newspaper-stories about a
guy shagging a chicken in Spain when a rock fell on him."
Dusty
Springfield
>939-<999
One of pop music's most shatter-
ingly soulful voices was stilled
when Dusty Springfield died on
March 2 at age 59 after a long battle
with breast cancer. From her first hit,
1 964's "I Only Want To Be With You, "
to her last, the 1987 Pet Shop Boys
collaboration, "What Have I Done to
Deserve This?", Dusty consistently
waxed sensual singles. England's
unofficial ambassador of R&B,
Springfield was instrumental in
importing the Motown Revue to Lon-
don in 1965. In 1 968, she teamed with
Aretha Franklin's producers to cre-
ate her masterpiece, Dusty in Mem-
phis, featuring her iconic "Son of a
Preacher Man." On March 15, the
songstress became England's first
female inductee into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame. Too bad she had to
miss the party. David Cohen
Breaking down the
new rap language
EAT YOUR FOOD v. To stab with
intent to kill; to attack. Tragedy Khadafi.
on the track "Eye to Eye" (from his new
album. Against All Odds), spits, "Get
your fuckin weight up, nigga...eat your
food, nigga." Originates front the Blood
term "eating," meaning "to slash with a
razor," commonly used in prison. May
derive from the prison practice of
stronger inmates forcibly taking others'
rations. Spun off* from 18th-century
French queen Marie Antoinette's glib
maxim "Let them eat cake,* addressed
to her starving subjects.
68 v 1 B e
Cop
SOUND ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
CHECK BQbbitO plays the tracks. Wesley Snipes states the tacts.
Wesley Snipes is from the Bronx and often attends
the Rock Steady Crew Anniversary parties there.
So I rolled with Crazy Legs from Rock Steady to
Wesley's crib in Marina del Rey. Wesley bugged when he
saw Legs and divulged that he himself was a dancer
before he got into acting. I was a dancer too before I
started spinning records and writing, so we all understood
each other. Now, I got beef with Wesley over his role in
White Men Can't Jump (20th Century Fox, 1 992). He's a
great actor, but a true ballplayer he's not. However, he
was cool enough in person that I could forgive him.
The Shades of Love — "Keep in Touch (Body to
Body)" (Venture, 19B2)
W: Oh, shit! Money, this takes me back. "Keep in touch,
body to body"— phew!
B: You collect records?
W Oh, yeah.
B: Did you spin back in the day?
W: That's how I got through college. I went to [State Uni-
versity of New York]-Purchase. I used to deejay up there.
B: I imagine you were there when this record came out.
W: I'm 36 now. I'd try to get two copies of this to go: "Keep
in touch," bring it back, "keep in touch." You forget how
many times you've done it — you're trying to get It right
and the crowd is like, "We're in touch already!"
B: Did you have a DJ nickname?
W: "Wes the Best." I had the turntables that
had rubber bands. I'd stretch it out and
try to replace it with any old rubber band
I could find. The pitch would be all off.
B: Did you make mix
tapes?
W: I still do.
The BBoys —"Girls-Part 2" (Vlntertainment, 1 985)
W: The thing I like about this period was it was about
rocking a party, not flexing on nobody. It wasn't about
negativity. In my day it mattered if the girls were having a
good time. Now [DJs] don't give a flying whatever.
B: "I met this girl named Anna/from Louisiana / She don't
want a man 'cuz / She uses a banana." I like this record
'cause it makes me giggle.
W: I like "Hot Spot" by Foxy Brown, but I listened to her
album, and it's like, how creative can you be with four-
letter words at this point? Her ability is beyond what she
showed on her album — at least I have faith that it is. An
artist can do anything. So go there. Push the envelope
of your imagination.
Johnny Guitar Watson — "Superman Lover" (This
Record Company, 1976)
W: "Superman Lover," Johnny Guitar Watson.
B: You had this record?
W: Yeah, but I didn't play it when it was out. They
would've started throwing shit at the DJ booth. If our
parents knew that this stuff would be sampled later on,
they would've never thrown them joints out. There'd be
78 rpms up on the refrigerator!
B: You know how many stories I've heard of somebody's
pops throwing out a collection? They leave it on the
sidewalk, and a crackhead picks it up.
W: What's interesting is that its spirit
may have influenced its longevity.
It's the spirit that the artist put into
it. It's forever.
smoking jacket with the velvet zodiac sexy signs and all
the girlies with their beautiful brown skin.
Eddie Palmieri — "Vamonos Pal Monte" (Tlco, 1 974)
W: The percussion in this brings out the warrior spirit in
you. You feel imperial! Makes you feel macho, like you
can take a girl dancing and swing her into your arms
and say in a deep voice like Dracula, "I know you want
me," and then throw her away! Cats in the Bronx would
play this in their hatchback with a speaker in the back.
B: With the hatchback open in the dead of winter! What
part of the Bronx are you from?
W: 1 67th and Boston Road, 3rd Avenue, Grand Con-
course, 181st and Creston Avenue, White Plains
Road, Castle Hill, 233rd Street and Murdoch Avenue,
Gun Hill Road, Lafayette Avenue, Sound View. I was
still living in the Bronx after my first two movies. For
three months during the shoot they used to send a car
to pick me up. After the movie wrapped I was back on
the train. Brothers on the corner would clown like,
"What happened to your car?"
Crazy Legs: How many times did you move? You
must ve ueen evicted a fat
W: Yo, man, I was in a
single-parent house-
hold; she was trying to
do the best she
could, you know what
I'm saying, papa?
Marlena Shaw — "Woman of the
f Ghetto" (Cadet, 1977)
W: Awww. . .ding ding ding ding ding.
B: This is my shit. Do you have this?
W: Nah, I know the track, though. Who
is that?
B: Marlena Shaw
W: I'm gonna write that
down. 1977? I'm a little
too young to be up on
that. Six-minute cuts are
beautiful. This is like the
leopard-rug type of
joint. The
Always bet on
black. Wesley
takes Bobbito,
no sweat.
PHOTOGRAPH BY NICOLE ROSENTHAL
70 V • B ■
Copyrighted material
SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Cigarette
Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide.
VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED
THIS AD CONTAINS:
|jj (Package Tampering"
Self Parole
I] :| (Overdue Books
Mighty Tasty!
Tougher Than
A selectedfilmography ofYaphetKotto
Player. Pimp. Handyman.
Hardass. Actor Yaphet Kotto
has deployed his unmistakably
gritty voice and leonine counte-
nance in all these guises over the
course of a career that consists of
more than 40 films, from his un-
credited big-screen debut in the
1963 Frank Sinatra vehicle 4 for
Texas, to the role ofDickie Coombes
in the 1980 prison-reform drama
Brubaker, and his turn as a child
psychologist in 1991's Nightmareon
BmStreetPart VI: Freddy's Dead: The
Final Nightmare. Currently starring
as Lieut. Al Giardello on NBC's
Homicide: Life on the Street, Kotto,
62, maintains the tradition of
classically trained actors like Paul
Robeson, Marlon Brando, and
Sidney Poitier by bringing an air of
majesty to his characterizations.
The Thomas Crown Affair
Harlem homicide detective RUFF-
NECK business: Pulls his out-of-
control partner (Anthony Quinn)
off a suspect who won't talk
QUOTABLE: "Don't give me any of
that 'brother' crap, I'm a police
officer and I asked you a question!"
threads: Navy blue business suit,
striped tie. Buddy Holly glasses
Live and Let Die (United
Artists, 1973) character: Kananga,
a.k.a. Mr. Big, leader of a New
Orleans voodoo cultwhoplanson
hooking the world on heroin
(United Artists, 1968) character:
Carl, a thief hired by millionaire
playboy Thomas Crown (Steve
McQueen) RUFFNECK BUSINESS:
Sticks gun up bystander's nose
during bank robbery QUOTABLE:
Addresses uptight fellow robber as
"Baby" threads: Sharp suit, Ray
Ban-style shades, fedora
Across uoth Street (United
Artists, 1972) character: Lieu-
tenant Pope, a highly principled
RUFFNECK BUSINESS: Slices James
Bond's (Roger Moore) arm and
dangles him over a pool of sharks
quotable: "Any cost, any cost.
Bond must die." threads: Ante-
lope head worn as a crown
Truck Turner (bmentin Inter-
national, 1974) character: Har-
vard Blue, the newest pimp in
town ruffneck business: Has his
henchmen hang Truck Turner's
(Isaac Hayes) cat QUOTABLE: "The
sky's about to open up on your
head. Better retire, take a vacation,
B.i.i.i.ici lieutenant: Kotto in Homicide mode
lay on a beach for about 90 years."
threads: White overcoat with
brown fur collar, ebony cane with
gold handle
Friday Foster (Orion, 1975)
character: Colt Hawkins, a pri-
vate eye tailing cheating spouses
RUFFNECK BUSINESS: Kills hitman
Yarbro (Carl Weathers) during
rooftop shoot-out to save Friday
Foster (Pam Grier) QUOTABLE:
"So you're out of the slammer!
How was the bread and water?"
Zeke Brown (Richard Pryor) and
Jerry Bartowski (Harvey Keitel)
ruffneck business: Beats two
union henchmen with a bat; suf-
focates in paint chamber when
forklift traps him inside QUOTABLE:
"They pit the lifers against the new
boys, the young against the old, the
black against the white. Everything
they do is to keep us in our place."
we ought to discuss the bonus sit-
uation." threads: Standard-issue
threads: Indigo leisure suit,
orange suede jacket
Blue Collar (T.A.T. Commu-
nications, 1978) character:
Smokey James, who works in a
Detroit-area auto plant alongside
threads: DEZY GILLESPIE for pres-
ident T-shirt
Alien (20th Century Fox, 1979)
character: Parker, a deckhand
aboard interstellar mining ship
TheNostromo ruffneck business:
Bashes the android Ash (Ian
Holm) into pieces; gets dismem-
bered by the Alien, leaving Ripley
(Sigoumey Weaver) alone on board
quotable: "Before we dock, I think
pea green T-shirt, Nostromo crew
work shirt with insignia patches,
royal blue bandanna
The Running Man (TriStar,
1987) CHARACTER: Laughlin, a
prison escapee coerced into
appearing alongside Ben Richards
(Arnold Schwarzenegger) on pop-
ular gamc-show-to-the-dcath The
Running Man RUFFNECK BUSI-
NESS: Breaks security guard's neck
during jailbreak; as Running Man
contestant, gets hacked by chain-
saw and left for dead QUOTABLE:
"Don't let us die for nothing. .. I
don't want to be the only asshole
in heaven." THREADS: Red-and-
gray nylon tracksuit
Steven Knezevich
HARD KNOCK N
On March 18, James
"Woody" Green announced his depar-
ture from multiplatinum R&B group Dru
Hill and plans to start a solo gospel
career. Reportedly, a fan decided not to
commit suicide after hearing Woody sing
"We want you to know we need you" on
"Nowhere Without You" from Enter the
Dru (Island, 1 998). "If I can inspire her by
doing secular music, I can inspire even
more people if I'm really singing the
gospel," Green said. Dru Hill will be
performing as a trio when they tour this
spring with Faith Evans and Total.
"Never got shot/ Never ever caught a
case /You talk behind my back I But then
you smile in my face. "
—Freaky Tah, "Get Your Hustle On" (1 997)
Six weeks after the murder of Big L,
another rap artist has met with a sudden
end. Raymond Rogers, 28, better known
as hype man Freaky Tah of the Lost
Boyz, was shot once in the head by a
masked assailant while leaving a party
in Queens on March 28. In 1 996 the Lost
Boyz' debut. Legal Drug Money (Uni-
versal), debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's
Top R&B chart. LB for Life, the follow-
up to their sophomore album, Love,
Peace and Nappiness, is completed,
although its release date has been
indefinitely postponed. The forth-
coming Lost Boyz music will be a
painful reminder of a life cut too short.
Rogers leaves behind a son, daughter,
and fiance. DayLe
:
:.
Lee
V I ■ B 73
Cc
aterial
A new California law restricting
right to wear body armor raises issues of
safety and police behavior
1 '<IIH!
r
RUSSELLJONES,
A.K.A.OU DIRTY
BASTARD,
is found guilty of a second-degree-
assault charge stemming from a bar
brawl in Richmond, N.Y. This felony con-
viction will prevent Jones from legally
possessing body armor (a bulletproof
vest) six years later in California.
1
Section 270.20
of the New York
penal code: "A
person is guilty of
the unlawful
wearing of a body
vest when acting
cither alone or
with one or more
other persons he
commits any
violent felony
offense... while
possessing a
firearm."
The [New York Police] department does not come close
to representing the diversity of the city it serves: Whites
are 67.4 percent of the force but only 43.4 percent of the
population." — The New York Times, March 8, 1 999
on FEBRUARY
UNARMED AFRICAi
by officers from the NYPD Street Crimes Unit (the same unit that
shot at ODB) in a 41-buIlet barrage in the Bronx.
1
L
IMH 1ANT
For the first half of 1 997, African-Americans and Latinos filed 78 percent of complaints against the police.
— Civilian Complaint Review Board
J£4 j li1M7M<1W,^lw»,Wp^Miil^^iirck«l>ytlitNyfl8>w>Crtw^Unii
' * ~ A 'j^ before being released without any subsequent police action. — NYPD statistic
ON JANUARY 15, 1999, NYPD officers open fire on a vehicle DRIVEN
BY ODB, claiming the rapper had fired on them first. ODB is arrested and charged with attempted murder.
He is held in jail for a week before being released and completely exonerated when police fail to produce evidence
that he possessed a weapon. At the press conference that follows, ODB is asked whether he was wearing a
bulletproof vest at the time of the incident. His response: "Of course."
"II 70 to 8<» percent <>l the people believe
th.it polite officers in New York City .ire
hrut.ll too often, th jt's j nmpcncptioii... driven by j very
effective partisan politic -il < impaign and the tjt i thai there's
been .in obsessive concern in the media about it,"
New York Mayor Rudv Giuliani, M.irt li 16, 1999
ING BALI IC A contextual history of body armor
Thirteenth Amendment abolishing
slavery is passed. Southern legislatures pass
laws restricting the rights of blacks — includ-
ing d enying ex-slaves the right to bear arms.
The use of Japanese silk for ballis-
tic armor gains popularity after President
William McKinley is assassinated while
unprotected.
Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Aus-
tria-Hungary, reportedly wearing ballistic
silk armor, takes the shot to the head that
starts World War L
Wonder Woman and her bulletproof
bracelets debut in DC Comics.
The U.S. Army designs the experi-
mental T64 Armor Vest for combat soldiers.
It is made of ballistic nylon and weighs
1 2 pounds.
DuPont chemist Stephanie Kwolek
finds the first practical method of commer-
cially producing the bullet-resistant plastic
fiber Kevlar.
The California-based Black Panther
movement is formed and calls for violent
revolution as a means of black liberation.
Los Angeles cops begin wearing
ballistic vests.
The National Institute of Law
Enforcement and Criminal Justice, an arm
of the Department of Justice, issues the first
government standards for body armor.
Inventor Richard C. Davis files an
application to patent the first light, nylon,
concealabie vest.
The first "save" of a law-enforce-
ment official credited to a Kevlar vest
New York real estate mogul Lewis
Rudin develops the slogan "I Have a Vested
Interest in New York's Finest" in order to raise
ON
FEBRUARY
16, 1999,
LAPD
OFFICERS
SPOT OL'
DIRTY
BASTARD
exiting his double-parked car
wearing body armor. ODB is
arrested according to Califor-
nia's one-month-old James
GuelfFBody Armor Act:
"Any person who has been
convicted of a violent
felony. . .who purchases,
owns, or possesses body
armor... is guilty of a felony,
punishable by imprisonment
in state prison for 16 months,
or two or three years."
"This law is a way to mitigate violence in
the community. It was quite a coinci-
dence that its first violator was ODB.
But it's very important to know the laws
of each state. The law does provide a
provision where any convicted felon
who feels that they need to wear body
armor can approach a law enforcement
official to receive a permit."
-Scott Wildman, California state
assemblyman
"Three out of every four
times that Los Angeles
police officers fire their
weapons, superiors fault
them for potentially life-
threatening mistakes that
warrant re-training or dis-
cipline."
— The Los Angeles Times,
August 14, 1994
"The evidence is indisputable that, com-
pared to the general population distribu-
tions persons ot color are dispropor-
tionately represented among those
subjected to police use ol lorce where the
discharge of a firearm is involved[.]"
-Police Violence (Human Rights Watch,
1998), edited by Geller and Toch
"No one in this country has
ever been killed by a bullet-
proof vest alone. They've made
possession of a vest like possession of
a controlled substance. What the cops
want is no static. When they point a gun
at you, they want you to be terrified."
— Anthony Thompson, professor of
clinical law, New York University
Counteracting gun-
fire in the real world
During daylight hours at the Kentucky
Fried Chicken at the corner of Freder-
ick Douglas Boulevard and Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. Boulevard (1 25th Street)
in Harlem, food is served over the
counter. But after dark, 1 1/4"-thick
shutters of bullet-resistant glass (actu-
ally a polycarbonate plastic) are pulled
down and food is passed to customers
through a $1,700 "package pass-
through unit." Because the glass also keeps out sound, employees and customers
communicate via intercom.
Level A4 armor (protection against Uzis, .44 Magnums, and
all major handguns) increases the weight of a Jeep Grand
Cherokee by about 1 ,1 00 pounds. The cost of armoring
such a low-profile vehicle (body armor not visible
to the naked eye) is $59,364 from Alpine
Armoring in Herndon, Va. Alpine offers
additional options like smoke
screen, oil slick, and electric
door handles for between
$1 ,300 and $2,500. Gun ports
cost $400 per door.
Alpine's Crowd Control Truck
While it is possible to get a Kevlar lining stitched
into clothes, the lining can tend to make a suit
"slouch" (lose its shape). Most body-armor sales-
people, like Skip Greene at New Centurion Body
Armor in Plantation, Fla., instead recommend
buying a single ballistic vest (costing up to $790)
that can be worn under any outift and provides
protection against firepower up to a .44 Magnum.
"Anyone who's been shot at as many limes as |ODB| should be able to protect himself. No
one believes that he was wearing a vest to rob banks.** —Peter Frankcl, ODB's attorney
money to outfit the NYPD with body armor.
Oakley Inc. introduces EyeShades,
the first pair of sunglasses with Plutonite
lenses, capable of withstanding a 1/4" steel
ball fired at 102 mph.
Stanley Kubrick premieres his
Vietnam War-epic, Full Metal Jacket.
AlliedSignal Inc. introduces Spectra
Shield, bringing comfort to concealable
vests with the flexible, non-woven com-
posite material.
DuPont introduces Kevlar Correc-
tional, a puncture-resistant material to
protect correctional officers from prison-
made shanks.
Tupac Shakur is
fatally shot in Las Vegas. He had left his
ballistic vest in his room at the Luxor Hotel.
B ^^^^^r^^S^^£»Jfc i Larry Eugene
Phillips Jr. and Emit Dechebal Matasareanu
make the national news for storming a North
Hollywood bank wearing full body armor and
firing armor-piercing bullets at teller win-
dows. A massive gunfight ensues between
the robbers and the LAPD before a national
television audience.
Snoop Doggy Dogg
tours Lollapalooza in a bulletproof camper.
The Bulletproof Vest Partnership
Grant Act is signed into law, guaranteeing
TEXT AND RESEARCH: KEN Jl JASPER, MATTHEW KAOUSHIN, JOSH LOEB, CARLOS ORTIZ. PETER RELIC, MICHAEL REV
federal funding to provide vests for federal,
state, and tribal law-enforcement officials.
John William King and Lawrence
Russell Brewer Jr., convicted of tying James
Byrd Jr. to a truck and dragging him to his
death, are led from the Jasper County
(Texas) courthouse wearing body armor.
ON THE BEST AND WORST DRESSED STABS IN HIP HOP
Dear readers, behind these "etoile" diamond-studded Ray Bans, your devoted VC has been
struck blind! If IIC's vision doesn't return soon, we'll be crawling to Andrea Bocelli's
agent for a new career. The culprit? Television.Just like you.K's been glued to our vibrat- ,
ing Sloth-Y-Gents, hypnotized by all these award shows: Grammys, Oscars, Emmys,
Espys, Essence, Lady of Soul, Soul Train, Soul Globes, Soulbustcrs, Independent
Soul Awards. . .the horror! But while we can't even remember who won what, we
have been blindedby bad taste: tube tops, Disney sweaters, and baggy leather!
While we recuperate, here's our first annual IC Style Awards (Mr. Blaclcwell, kiss
our ghetto-fab ass)!
The Beefcake/Cheesecake Award: or the Mighty Healthy Award, goes to Treach. who
we'd naturally love to get naughty with; Luke's new female rapper. Jiggie (yes, that's heron the
Lizard, Lizard CD); and producer Stevie J. (who needs to lift weights when your
Rolex is that heavy)? These stars make you want to hit the gym — or hit some-
^^^^ thin '. Honorable mention: BET's Big Lez. who will kick all our asses.
I
TIB S|rinO CttiCkU AW8Pt for being Easter Sunday-sharp all year round,
goes to Gerald Levert. a true playa from the Himalayas (check the
perfectly groomed beard and the purple gators): and LIP Kim.
who color-coordinates everything from her platinum hair
to her diamonds and her white pedicure. Honorable men-
tion: Puff Daddy and almost every player in the NBA.
Tbl AXtflllJ CrilStty AWflrti! goes to Mase, a.k.a.
Mason "I Murdered Tigger, Tony, and Simba for this
suit" Betha; Master P, who thought that by wearing
an anaconda he'd get a crack at Jenny Lopez too
("Damn you, Puffy!"); and Tamia, who looked like a
cross between Morris Day and Chester the Cheetos
Cheetah. Honorable mention: Foxy Brown's My
Little Pony-tail weave.
yrighted material
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Specialty martad product is avafcole white suvfcs last aj partopafing batons Detailed dncripton at specially marked packaging provided whan you sat up your votcemau box. Coca-Cola wscemai box ends September 6 1999
C 1999 The Coca-Cob Company ' Coca-Cola* andjH Contour Bottle design axe registered trademarks at The Coca-Cola Company.
1 . Arista Records president Clive Davis knows how to throw a party. Lots of giddy VIPs filled the Beverly Hills Hotel's Crystal Ballroom. (Left to right) Cissy Houston,
Monica, Faith Evans, Kelly Price, Whitney Houston, Deborah Cox, and Shanice pay homage to their label daddy. 2. DJ Quik stuck to Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins
like glue. Quik can't go wrong collaborating with the hit-making producer, who's lending his expertise to Michael Jackson's new joint. 3. All in the family: Faith Evans
gives us Marilyn Monroe flavor as she cozies up to label mates 1 1 2. 4. We were not surprised to see Jerry Seinfeld representin'. Wherever the cool people were,
so was he. Could it be that Jerry "Jigga" Seinfeld is considering a second career in the rap game?
P Diddy's hair waves are enough to make us dizzy, but talk-show host Donny Osmond maintains
as the Puffstor pitches a hip hop remix of Donny and Marie's "A Little Bit Country, a Little Bit Rock and Roll." •: OutKast's Big Boi looks smooth, but what was Dre
(who rocked a set-and-go) thinking? We're not mad, though, because the southern duo keep us bouncin'. Carlos Santana is damn near speechless. He thanks Clive
Davis before giving an awesome performance. Naughty by Nature may be new to the A-team, but these rap veterans effortlessly get the crowd riled up. The Boogie-
Down Bronx Fly Girl-turned-actress-turned singer Jennifer Lopez is in the house looking quite chic. Mamacita must be
overall the talk about her (ass)ets, so she keeps them covered nicely. (Left to right) Mase, Shanice, Faith Evans, Deborah
Cox, and Usher definitely win for best coordination. If it's a freakish coincidence, we fove it! ' All hail the Queen! Mary J. Blige is cornered by producer/song-
writers Soulshock (right) and Karlin (who produced Whitney Houston's single "Heartbreak Hotel"). Her next album is rumored to be released in August — and thank
goodness! We desperately need a Mary fix. Kenya N. Byrd
PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVEN WILLIAMS u , „ P
naterial
m
On March 30, Voletta Wallace. VIBE Ventures CEO/President Keith Clinkscales, andPDiddy hosted the first benefit dinner for the Christopher Wallace Memonal Foundation,
Inc. The foundation donates books, computers, and other educational materials to New York City's needy schools and daycare centers.
1. There's nothing but positivlty and love in the air as (left to right) LB' Kim, Money L from Junior M.A.F.I A., Puffy, Biggie's former road manager D-Roc, Faith, and Ms. Wallace
give a high-spirited performance of "I'll Be Missing You.'' 2. Puffy's mom, Janice Combs (left), and Ms. Wallace politic while strengthening their maternal ties. 3. P Diddy knows
his boy Russell Simmons doesn't do black-tie attire, but it's all good. Simmons donated two S500 Phat Farm gift certificates to the evening's raffle. 4. Loud Records, home of
hardcore acts like Wu-Tang, just signed its first gospel group, 5 Young Men. Trust, when these brothers sing "Praying Time," folks drop to their knees. 5. Hot 97 DJ Ed Lover, the
night's master of ceremonies, keeps everyone cracking up, especially when he targets the Junior M.A.F.I A clique: "Junior M.A.F.I.A. is in suits, and they don't even have to go
to court!" 6. Donald "Big Daddy Bucks" Trump is down with Puffy and the rap game, so we're never surprised to see him representing, especially with his new lady, Melania
Knauss. 7. Virginia's leading homegiri, Missy Elliott, enjoys the gala. 6. Bethann Hardison, the sister who discovered supermodel Tyson, may be recruiting a new client —
Shine, the newest Bad Boy, who sounds hauntingly like the late Big Poppa. 9. Mary J. Blige still can't believe she won one of the three specially designed leather Avirex
jackets lined wrthaflick of B.I.G. Definitely a collector's Hem! 10. Baby boy Mase is in the best of spirits! That smile with thosedimples says. We'll always love Big Poppa. K.N.B.
80 v I ■ ■
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CAROLINE TOREM-CRAIG
Copyrighted material
After making history by winning five Grammys and snagging four trophies at the Soul Train Music Awards in Los Angeles, Lauryn Hill knocks all competition out
the box. Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz show Tia and Tamera Mowry how to do the Uptown shuffle. Oh, happy day! Luther Vandross and Whitney Houston are
giddy beyond recognition. We suppose that phat Altoid in Whitney's mouth means that fresh breath is equally important as strong vocal cords. Jermaine Dupri
looks like he's recruiting Regina King for a spot in his next video. Perhaps she'll star as his wife. Now that Urkel, oops, Jaleel White has shed the high-waters and
nasal voice, his taste in women has changed. He snuggles up to pal Big Lez. When the Soul Train comes around, the freaks come out! Wu-Tang's Power (far right)
helps himself to an unidentified, body-painted go-go dancer at the Def Jam party, held at L.A.'s House of Blues. Although Tyson is a good-looking brother, why
does he look like a long-lost cast member from The Dukes of Hazard? Girl powerl (left to right) Amelle Simpson, Nia Long, sisters Reina and Regina King, and Vivica
A. Fox brought the ruckus at West Hollywood's SkyBar. We can only imagine how a ladies' night out with Hollywood's dopest sistahs might go down. Kirk Franklin
and wifey have to be the cutest couple in gospel! And they're looking so very chic. R. Kelly, who shared the Sammy Davis Jr. award for Entertainer of the Year with
Lauryn Hill, offers the members of Next a few pointers on women and love. K.N.B.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVEN WILLIAMS
Copyrighted material
"Our
way of
expressing
the
phrasing,
the
rhythm-is
so pure.
It's from
our souls!'
A
It's your world.
Talk like it.
Articulating,
discussing, just doing
your thing. No one
helps you express
yourself like AT&T.
With wireless, the
Internet, calling
cards and more,
from home,
the office, your
car, wherever.
It's all within
your reach?
AT&T
Erykah Badu, Singer
W W W. ATT. C O M
Remember Pam Grier gliding through the opening scene o/"Jackie Brown to the tune of "Across
uoth Street"? That jam 4 higb-fying tenor belongs to none other than Bobby Womack, who origi-
nally wrote and recorded the song in 1972 for the United Artists film of the same name. Known for
other classics like 'Woman's Gotta Have It' (United Artists, 1972) and "If You Think You're
Lonely Now " (Beverly Glen, 1981), this Cleveland-raised singer/songwriter/guitarist is a comer-
stone of ROB. Anyone who appreciates R. Kelly s lusty cries or the gruff embellishments of K- Ci
Hailey has tasted the Womack energy.
Womack has vibed with artists from Jackie Wilson to Jimi Hendrix to the Rolling Stones to the
Roots. He was a sideman for both Sam Cooke and Ray Charles before going on to sell more than
j million albums worldwide with his solo efforts The Poet (Beverly Glen, 1981) and The Poet 1 1
(Beverly Glen, 1984). Currently completingworkon All Things Heal in Time, an album featuring
collaborations with Johnny Mathis, Gerald Levert, and Teena Marie, and set for release later this
year, Womack, 55, is a gregarious talker— and a teller of secrets.
When I was 7, me and my five brothers opened up for Sam Cooke. When I was 8, a
white record producer, who was active on the Cleveland music scene, told me,
"I'd like you all to sing rock 'n' roll." My father said, "They sing gospel." The
producer gave him $3,000. We cut a record called "Buffalo Bill Was a Runaway Slave."
GOTTA HAVE IT
11
FREESTYLE, NO REHEARSAL
as
Bobby Womack
told to Brent Fason
' Heavy mentor: Womack with Rolling Stones
Ron Wood (center) and Keith Richards in 1982
The next day the producer came back and said, "Bad news. Someone broke into my stu-
dio last night and stole all your masters." Later, the record came out but we couldn't tell
nobody it was us because the name on the record was different. Forty years later, this same
producer gets me on the phone and says, "I'm dying of cancer. God says I robbed you
ghetto kids of having a dream. I'm going to send you the master tape." I got the tape and
it had 1954, THE WOMACK BROTHERS, MANAGER: FRIENDLY WOMACK on the original box.
In 1962, my group, the Valenrinos, was recording on Sam Cooke's label, Sar. In '64,
Sam said, "I need a song that'll break pop," so I gave him "It's All Over Now." Then Sam
came to me and said, "There's an English group called the Rolling Stones; they're not
known over here yet, but you should let 'em record that song." At that time, the Stones
didn't know they could write. I kept saying, "Let 'em get their own song. These white boys
are always Pat Boone-ing and waiting until we get something out, and then they take
it." Sam said, "Bobby, I'm trying to tell you in a nice way that they're gonna record this
song." Their record came out (London, 1964) and went No. L When I received the first
check from the Stones, I'd never seen money like fhat-$250,ooo. The Rolling Stones-
we all became close friends. I talked to them the other day and they said, "You're opening
up for us in Cleveland. We're going to make a statement: Why is Bobby Womack not in
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?" Cleveland's a city I built, but I'm not in the Rock and
Roll Hall ofFame. Jackie Wilson.James Brown, Otis Redding, Al Green, and Marvin Gaye
are stuffed in there like sardines.
Charley Pride impressed me because here was the first black I knew singing country
and western, and the world was prejudiced more than it is now. In '76 1 recorded a country-
and-western album. United Artists flipped out because I wanted to call this album Step
Aside Charley Pride, Give Another Nigger a Try. The album became BWGoes CCrW. And
"I'm not in the Rock and
RoLL Hall of Fame. Jackie
Wilson, James Brown, Otis
Redding, Al Green, and
Marvin Gaye are stuffed in
there like sardines."
I've known Aretha Franklin all my life. I saw her sister Carol teaching her "Ain't No
Way." And I was sitting there weighing 115 pounds with a cigarette in my mouth, coach-
ing her. She came back from the studio once and said, "Somebody made me cut 90
tracks over and over again, but I know that when I sing it the first time it's like a baby
being born, you can't push it back up in." Aretha's always been very bashful. She had
a big crush on Sam Cooke.
Me and Gerald Levert's dad, Eddie [Levert of the O'Jay's], grew up together, but I
didn't know Gerald as a child. Back then people kept family to themselves. The first
time I worked with Gerald was three weeks ago on a song for my album. I was shocked. I
said, "Eddie's son sounds just like him!" We'll goon tour together this September.
I am hooked on music like some people are hooked on crack. Louis Armstrong once
told me, "Find something you love to do, and you'll never work a day in your life. Get
paid to bring the party." I ain't leavin' until I get even. □
84 V I ■ ■
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Copyrighted material
Governments saw men only in mass: but our men, being irregulars, were not formations, but
individuals. ...Our kingdoms lay in each man V mind.
-T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, 1935
Our ongoing research into dangerous knowledge recently uncovered the follow-
ing account: During the early 1940s, the I.G. Farben Chemical Company
employed a Polish salesman who also worked as a chemist in the manufacture
of poisonous gas. This same cyanide gas, along with Zyklon B and Malathion, was
used to exterminate millions ofjews and other unfortunates in Nazi death camps across
Europe. Their bodies were burned to ashes in huge ovens. After the war the sales-
man, fearing for his life, joined the Catholic Church and was ordained a priest in 1946.
He traveled to the States in 1979, where one of his closest friends was Dr. Wolf Szmuness,
the mastermind behind certain health-related experiments said to have loosed the
plague of AIDS upon the American people. According to this account, the salesman
returned home and was ordained Poland's youngest bishop in 1958. After a 34-day
reign his predecessor was assassinated, and our ex-gas salesman assumed the papacy
as Pope John Paul II.
Imagine that! If this "account" were correct, the Pope would be the most dangerous
man alive. Since when did the "land of the tree and the home of the slave" allow crimi-
nals to grow big and strong? Since George Washington Columbus! The Pope didn't invent
COVERT OPZ
camouflage— and anybody can use its deceptive power to conceal affiliations.
"You can learn a lot from Satan," someone once said. The Antichrist may not be a true
man of respect, but he is a true gangster. He doesn't roll with a loud bunch of half-wits.
His crew doesn't need bandannas and a box-cutter to get a reputation. They've got more
guns than the ghetto's ever seen, yet you'll never see them pull out nothing but infor-
mation. His gang stays discreet. Let me spell it out for you: Gang members who still wear
colors are stupid! Y'all brothers and sisters are too important to your families and your
community to be captured. Everybody knows who you're with! In the coming conflict,
camouflage doesn't begin with what you wear. This is how to prepare.
All overt members and affiliates: Burn your fingertips periodically. Apply for
city, state, and federal jobs. Infiltrate. Try for something in the court system, any post
where there's information you can get and disperse to other thugs. All you felons who
sell drugs because you can't make an honest wage due to your criminal past, just do
what so many other reprobates have done: Change your name! Not just your identi-
ty, but your persona. Keep your affiliations a closely guarded secret like a Masonic
handshake. If every member of the Bloods, Crips, Netas, Latin Kings, and La Primera
followed this strategic counsel, tomorrow's leaders could completely reform and
restructure today's society!
1 cannot even begin to outline the financial empire controlled by the CIA, the
National Security Agency, and the Council on Foreign Relations. Which unseen council
controls and launders the money from drugs and other proprietary ventures carried
out by the shadowy "intelligence community"? I can give you one example of a highly
successful covert operation. On February 8, 1990, ABC's Evening News carried a report
regarding the Congressional testimony of Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who complained
that U.S. -based oil companies were not being regulated in the shipment of chemicals
J
TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES
by bonz ma Lone
Keep yourself adaptable and
on the move. The best way to
protect yourself is to be as
fluid and formless as water.
necessary for the production of illegal drugs. Two of these chemicals, acetone and ethyl
ether, were being sent to Latin America by the chemical affiliates of major U.S. oil
companies. Who let the goods go south with full knowledge of their only possible com-
mercial application?
Covert ops such as these aren't half planned at all. Those who implement them have
become masters in abstract and multidimensional strategies. Above all, they under-
stand the power ot omcrta (silence). By taking a shape, by having a visible plan, you
open yourself to attack. Playing name games with strangers only provides a form tor
your enemy to grasp. Keep yourself adaptable and on the move. Bragging about who
you know can get you offed. The best way to protect yourself is to be as fluid and form-
less as water. Never bet on stability or lasting order. Everything changes. Things fall apart.
As national consigliere and made member ot die Inmate Council, I motion that we
adopt the example of Attila, King of the Huns, who accepted criminals from all families
who desired to be free from the tyrannical grip of Caesar's Rome. Or Kool Here, Afrika
Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash, and all those who formed the Zulu Nation and the Rock
Steady Crew in hopes that the political warfare in the ghetto could become less violent
and more cerebral. It worked. For 20 years and counting, our thing has affected most ideas
iri all industries, while we remain America's Least Noticed. ™ □
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N,XT
NATURE ORGANIC MC
PHOTOGRAPHED BY CATALINA GOHZALEZ FEBRUARY 25, 1999, HARLEM, NEW YORK CITY
I 'd rather be the underdog and do real
good," says soft-spoken Nature, "than
have a lotta hype and then bust." On this
chilly March day, Nas's 23-year-old pro-
tege appears to have an unwavering air of
confidence— even while sitting among the
too-fabulous patrons of the trendy Man-
hattan restaurant in which he's lunching.
With a tight debut album set for summer
release, Nature's feelin' good about life in
the rap game.
Before he was Nature, Jermaine Baxter
was a shorty coming up in N.Y.C.'s notori-
ous Oueensbridge projects. He and Nas
went to the same school. Then in 1997,
after a three-year bid, Nature linked up with
his ill mat ir counterpart and was thrust into
the spotlight as the fourth member of the
Firm, featuring Nas, Foxy Brown, and AZ.
But pressures from outside and within the
group left Nature with a bitter taste in his
mouth. "In the Firm there was, like, a lot of
different egos and politics involved," he
says. "Excluding myself, you had three
heads who sold millions of records on their
own. But when it came time to come
together, the whole image wasn't pure." It
was unnatural in a sense. "The Firm was
on a gangsta vibe," Nas would later say,
"while Nature's bringing that gritty shit.
Niggas ain't get a chance to hear [Nature's)
side of the story yet. And I want niggas to
feel the fire and anguish in his story."
Nature's being very cautious with his
forthcoming solo debut. For Alt Seasons
(Trackmasters/Columbia). He tests tasty
selections like the raw jail tune "Biddin' It"
on the ears of folks in his Queens neigh-
borhood. So don't expect to hear any
Cristal-poppin', radio-friendly R&B rap.
"Personally, I don't dance." Nature says,
grinning. "I respect dance music, but I'm
trying to make tough songs. I want to add
to the game, not subtract from it."
Following in the footsteps of Nas,
Nature also sees his impending success as
a bridge for his new group of rappers. Wild
Gremlins, to build upon. "We went all year
with Harlem World," Nature says jokingly.
"Much love to them , but we want to go back
to Queens for a little while." This underdog
will have his day. Elliott Wilson
Cop;
Sit? ytsvi <» T r-
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INFAMOUS SYNDICAT Sexy minds, intelligent rhymes
PHOTOGRAPH BY JONATHAN MANNION
W* very year somebody's gonna
come up with a new way to
mm be sexy," says Rashawnna
Guy, 21 , the rowdy half of
Chicago rap duo Infamous
Syndicate. Poised on a kitchen
stool in their co-manager's
South Chicago home, Shawnna,
daughter of legendary blues
guitarist Buddy Guy, has no
trouble expressing her opinion
about women who exploit their
sexuality to succeed in hip hop.
"A man ain't gon' look at you
half naked and think. Boy she
got a pretty brain,'" she says
with a husky laugh. "Let me be
that one you wonder what I look
likewhenlgetsexy."
Turning her gaze away from
a living room TV set flashing
The Jerry Springer Show,
20-year-old Lateefa Harland,
Shawnna's low-key partner in
rhyme, chimes in. "I always say
it's in a woman's nature to be
sexy. But to totally rely on it —
that 's not what we're about."
It's not that Shawnna and
Teefa don't ooze round-the-
way sex appeal. But it's their
exceptional emceeing — not
their hot-spot Gucci-wear —
that makes headz turn. While
Shawnna snipes rapid-fire
rhymes, Teefa's flow is subtler.
Think of her as the Jigga to
Shawnna's DMX.
"I was intimidated [when
meeting Teefa) because I
knew she rapped too,"
Shawnna says, recalling
Teefa's 1 6th birthday party,
where the pairfirst met. But
instead of becoming com-
petitors, the women formed
a lyrical tag team and began
performing in area barber
shops. In 1996, Infamous
Syndicate became Chi-
Town's biggest unsigned
hype when their then inde-
pendent single "Jenny
Jonez" flooded a local radio
station's request line.
Just three years later,
Syndicate released their
banging debut, Changing
the Game (Relativity), this
March, and their amped first
single, "Here I Go," their only
track that beckons the listener
to bounce and big-up God at
the same time, is riding up the
charts. "Women can do the
same things as men," says
Shawnna. "That's what we say
in our music. We're not trying to
be what you think we should be.
We're tryin' to be who we are."
Tracy E. Hopkins
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VERGE
DAVE HOLLISTER Ruffneck soul
PHOTOGRAPHED BY SUSAN SHACTER
FEBRUARY 25, 1999, GRAMERCY PARK
NEW YORK CITY
n Mary J. Blige, Tupac, and Usher, and gained a rep as one fourth of
Blackstreet. But singer/songwriter Dave Hollister secretly dreams
of a world beyond R&B. Just like an actor who yearns to direct, or a
model who desires to act, Hollister aspires to be something other
than what he is. "If I could rap, I would be a rap artist," the
thirtysomething Chi-Town native says, idly stabbing his fork
into a dish of peach cobbler. "Erick Sermon always calls me a
rapper trapped in an R&B singer's body 'cause of the way
that I write." Hollister smiles broadly, his eyes as bright as
the diamonds alistenina on his finaers and around his wrist.
"I think I lean more towards hip hop than R&B," he says. "But
I know I can't rhyme."
Not that it has slowed him down any. On his long-awaited
solo collection. Ghetto Hymns (Def Squad/DreamWorks),
Hollister takes his longtime love affair with rap to a new
level. Part of the hip hop feel that Ghetto Hymns
invokes comes via Hollister's association with the
aforementioned Green-Eyed Bandit. The former
member of EPMD and current titan of Def Squad
coexecutive-produced Ghetto Hymns, the first
CD to be released on Sermon's joint venture with
DreamWorks. But much of the credit belongs to
Hollister himself, who marries his soaring gospel-
stoked tenor to some thuggish-ruggish lyrics and
rough-and-ready content. Case in point: tracks
like the bouncing "Came in the Door Pimpin'
(featuring Too Short)" and the first single,
"Babymamadrama." A little Springer-style
slice of life, "Babymamadrama" is, in its
coarse, no-shorts way, the antithesis of the
sensitive, pleading, down-on-my-knees love-
man ethos. "No begging. We been there, done
that," Hollister says. "Guys always making
albums for women, but nobody looks out for us,
know what I'm saying?" Hollister represents
ghetto life and love when he steps to the mike. "I'd
explain my album as being an R&B Jay-Z album." Hey,
smooth singers can lead hard-knock lives too.
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Three years ago, folks in the world called
Harlem knew him as "Murder." But when Sean "Puffy" Combs
waved his magic wand— and after the poof of blunt smoke
cleared-a cute and cuddly Mason "Mase" Betha appeared.
But now, with his Double Up disc, the dimpled Bad Boy returns
to burn lyrically with the street-corner stylings that used to
blaze his days and illuminate his nights. Minya Oh finds out
why can't nobody smudge his shine.
state of mase
I Summertime in Harlem, USA. Back then,
be it sneaker pimpin' at Dr. Jay's, snackin'
■ at greasy spoon Pan Pan's, or trolling down
Seventh Avenue during the African-American Day Parade,
it wasn't hard to spot 17-year-old Mason "Mase Murder"
Betha (also known as, "Murder Mase"); folks had grown
accustomed to seeing the gregarious rap star-to-be blend
into Uptown Manhattan's popular spaces and places.
But it was hard for around-the-way folks to remain non-
chalant when that same young Casanova got hold of a
microphone. As "Murder," Betha was tearing up mix-tape
freestyles and amateur showcases with fellow up-and-coming
partners in rhyme like the Lox, DMX, McGruff, Big L (God
bless the dead), and Children of the Corn-a crew consisting
of Mase, Killa "Cam'ron" Cam, and their late friend Blood-
shed (God bless the dead). Betha's name rang bells. In 1996,
Harlem locals were proud to hear that Sean "Puffy" Combs
had signed Murder to Bad Boy Records on the strength of
one freestyle.
Even though he was no longer Murder but Mase when he
debuted on some R&B shit for 112's "Only You" remix, the
Kid stepped out in the video next to the Notorious B.I.G.,
holdin' hands with Keisha from Total, Avirex-ed down,
standing in front of a Hummer in the middle of Times Square.
And killin' it with: "Now you can hum all you want to, cum
all you want to / Money I'm a front you, girl I wanna flaunt
you..."ItwasabeautifuI thing.
And even though he was no longer rappin' about blood-
shed and drug-lord drama, Uptown, Downtown, 'Crosstown,
and every other town was loving Mase when he led Puff
through the superproducer's first rap song, 1997's "Can't
Nobody Hold Me Down." We loved Mase on B.I.G.'s 1997
"Mo Money, Mo Problems," and it was dope to see him
partying up in Las Vegas for his own debut single, 1997's "Feels
So Good." More than 4 million of us loved him enough to
pick up his 1997 debut LP, Harlem World (Bad Boy). Maybe
it was Mase's rap-along/slow-as-molasses flow. Or the comical
party moves, the heart-stealing smile, those twinkling almond-
shaped eyes. Those dimples. Whatever it was, the Kid was doing
it-MTV, Teen People, sold-out tours, the minimum !
But the same things that spark a young girl's lust often spur
a small man's hatred. "Why's he always cheesin'?" asked some.
"Why's he always dancin'? Why's he getting all the shine on
Biggie's song? Is he retarded? Is he gay? What's with the silver
suits? Playboy, where the Hummer at?"
Walking into a bare-bones dressing room, while a packed
Floss Angeles crowd awaits him outside, Mase, freshly dipped
in yellow Timberlands and an Iceberg sweater, is relaxing with
his Harlem World hype man, Huddy Combs (no relation to
Puff), away from the fray. Tonight, the only parts of his
wardrobe that are silvery are his diamond-infested platinum
Rolex, basket-weave bracelet, and danglingjesus piece. Out-
side the door, the scene is pure Hollywood: A screw-faced
bodyguard stands at attention; Mase's new manager, Earvin
"Magic" Johnson (yes, the Magic Johnson), presses the flesh
like a true politician; buppies sap-rap to overdone ladies; and
a dookie-braided Kim "Tootie" Fields cuts deals while in the
bathroom ("Call my agent," she says). Mase knows he's a
long way from 133rd Street and Lenox Avenue, so he wears
a dingy rubber band on his right wrist, he says, to remind
him of where he came from.
And if you give Mase a minute of free time, he'll go back
there. As soon as he's done performing at the club, he's right
in the middle of the crowd, doin' "Da Butt" with every honey
in reach. The next day, after making an uneventful appearance
at the Soul Train Music Awards, Mase hops on a plane to go
see his moms. And two days later, when he's finished with his
VIBE shoot, all Mase wants to do is hang out with his Til' sis-
ters" Tiana and Lisa-two budding basketball stars from Harlem.
Mase pays their tuition at Laurinberg Institute, a boarding
school in North Carolina. This is not Lauryn Hill's Refugee
Project or The United Negro College Fund. This is personal.
T and Lisa let Mase escape the rap game for a while; he gives
them a future to work for. The Kid has grown into a man.
1995
visa 101
But even with all the opportunities that success
brings, a few minutes with Mase (or a listen to his
compelling new album, Double Up) will tell of the wear
and tear of pop life and of his longing for the simpler
times from back in the day. But Double's tales of lost
friends and betrayal show that this MC is coming to
terms with the fact that the world of Mase Murder is
gone. ("It's like when I hurt, y'all laugh... I show
people love and then they underhand me," he raps
on "Same Niggas.") All of this makes one wonder: If
you could make retirement money at the age of 19,
travel the world, be linked to sex symbols, and take
care of your entire family, would you put on that
shiny suit too?
You 've caught a lot of flack for the whole shiny-suit thing.
Was the wardrobe change your idea i Was it a way to shed
the Mase Murder image ?
This is what happened: You got rappers that think
they the best, lyrically. You have rappers that want
to be the best performer; some that want to be the
best storyteller. I just want to be like Michael
Jackson-the best all-around entertainer. So when
people don't consider me one of the best rappers, I
don't get mad, 'cuz I'm not here to be the best rap-
per. If you're doin' it for the 'hood, do it on the cor-
ner. This is show business. If you're tryin' to be in
show business, gimme a show.
When we were on the "Mo Money, Mo Prob-
lems," video set, it was like, We're gonna put the lights
on this and we're wearing this. I didn't go in there and
say, "I can't wait to put that shiny suit on." [The
director, Hype Williams,] had to explain it to me.
He was like, "That's what's gonna come across
better on TV. You could put on what you want to
wear, but not everything that looks good in the 'hood
looks good on TV." I don't think that the guy from
OutKast dresses like that every day. I see Busta all
the time; he don't always dress like that. Hype had
Missy in a plastic bag, and [her album] soldamillion
copies. A man can't reach his peak if he's scared to
experiment. It ain't like it was a miniskirt-it was a
shiny suit. I said, "All right, just make it baggy, and
gimme some [Nike] Air Ones."
Did it bother you that some rappers were dissingyou
because of your pop success i
One time I was chillin' with Nas and he was like,
"Yo, don't ever let any of these niggas fool you. If they
could have your success, they'd put that [shiny] shit
on too." I don't pay none of that stuff no attention,
'cuz the real men that got a problem with you ain't
goin' to be talking about it. That's point-blank. What
Biggie and Pac had was a problem. With everything
else that be going on, these are not problems. It's just
music. Me and Cam don't got no problem. I see Cam,
we shake hands, whatever, go our ways. It ain't no
problem; if we did have a problem, when we saw each
other there'd be fighting. Ain't no problem with me
and Jay-Z. That's why all of this stuff is becoming
redundant. 1 don't even want my name involved with
nonsense like that.
So you never feel the need to respond to your detractors *
When everybody was dissin' me for a moment,
like during the summer and all of that? I didn't really
respond, but I thought about it.
How didyou hold yourself back*
I think about all the people that depend on me.
Whenever I'm about to do something really crucial,
I think about everybody that benefits from what I
do. I got seven nieces and nephews. I got six brothers
and sisters, a mother and a father-and 1 take care
of that whole family. Then 1 got Harlem World, and
that's a whole other family to take care of. 'Cuz it's
like, if you're gonna do something stupid, you're
gonna be sittin' in jail like, I don't even belong here!
Like when Tupac went to jail. . .
That's when every black man realizes-thc world
don't stop for none of us! The world ain't stop for
Biggie and Pac. Mase came up, DMX came up,Jay-Z
came up. We can sit up here and cry and say how we
love this nigga and that nigga, but ifwe're still gonna
be doing the same stupid things, it's like, what arc you
saying as a man? How could we be doing something
that two niggas got killed for doing? At one time we
was all niggas just trying to come up. Whether you
was in school or you was hustling. So how come we
all get here, and then B.I.G start doing this and Pac
start doing that? You won't never see [Arista Records
head] Clive Davis make a song about [Sony Music
honcho) Tommy Mottola and dis everybody on his
label. So what am I arguing about? It ain't like if I do
this Clive Davis is gonna come out his house and say,
"Niggas said this about Mase?!" He's not thinking
about that. So you're fighting for somebody who ain't
gonna fight for you.
How did you approach Double Up?
When I was writing this album, Puff said, "Yo, just
open your heart and you won't have to worry about
nothing. You'll sleep better." He didn't tell me this
exactly, but 1 took it as whatever you say, you feel it.
You want to do this, so do it. I wrote most of the
album on the Hill [neighborhood in Harlem around
135th Street and Amsterdam Avenue]. I was just
walking through the 'hood like, seven in the morning,
just watchingevcrybody going to school, cuttin' class,
everything. It brought me back in touch with reality.
Just seeing Big L get killed, it let me know that niggas
still get murdered.
Wouidyou say thalyou fee ion touch withyour old reality
over the past twoyears because ofallyour success?
You wake up, people bring you your food. They
come pick you up, train you-that type of lifestyle.
Clothes laid out for you. "Oh, I want my feet
washed"-whatevcr I want. So I had to step away from
that, 'cuz once you lose touch with the 'hood, you're
over with. But I remain just far enough away from the
'hood to be able to get where I need to go and not
get caught up. That's my whole philosophy: right
there with the 'hood, but in-between.
Soyou stay in between the 'hood and what? Wl>at is that
next In*} that you aspire to reach ?
I always said my dreams don't just consist of music.
Music is my stepping stone. When you see me on TV,
you can tell I got another personality besides music.
I could be on TV gettin' Sioo.ooo a week because
they're going to know I come with a soundtrack!
That's what I want to do-music is just going to allow
me to get there. All I need is 10 minutes with Jim
Carrey or Will Smith. My 10 minutes gonna seem like
40! Some people, they got style but they're not
good-looking. Or they good-looking and have no
talent. I'm in-between-I got a little bit of looksto me
and I got a little bit of talent. I got a face you could see
on TV every day.
Iknmoyou also want to establish yourselj as Mase, not
just the rapper Mase or even Bad 'Boy 'sMase, Butwillyou
104 v 1 b o
MASE ON WHAT HE WOULD BE
WITHOUT PUFF: "The same thing
Puff would be without Mase."
Jterial
"I just want to be like Michael
Jackson-the best entertainer/' says
Mase. "So when people don't con-
sider me one of the best rappers,
I don't get mad."
ever be able to shine outside of Puffy 's shadow ?
That's just another obstacle I got to go through.
When people ask me, "What would you be without
Puff?" I say, "Well, the same thing Puff would be
without Mase."
And what's that*
It's just like, you can't think of Michael Jordan
without Scottie Pippen or Pippen without Jordan.
They're just a great team.
Well, actually, Jordan without Pippen is still Jordan-
the greatest basketball player of all time.
He wouldn't have them rings, though. Puffy
would still be Puffy the hot producer, but he wouldn't
win overall. I'ma be the person who don't get the
credit— a good team player understands his role.
Puff might have an off series; it might be my series.
But he's still gonna get MVP, 'cuz he's Puff.
But don 'tyou ever want to switch your role t Don 'tyou
ever want to get MVP?
Ego is what destroys every man in the world.
Pride and ego. Who cares who gets MVP-as long
as I'm standing up with the same No. l in the air,
down on one knee with the ball in my arm. People
think Mase should do this, Mase should do that,
he don't need Puff, he don't need this. But then I
would be an ungrateful nigga. When I had nothing,
that's the man that said, "I believe in you." So that's
who I got to roll with till the boat goes under the
water and we all drown. That's who I have to sink
with. That's loyalty.
[Loyalty] is what's missing from this game right
now. That's why you got to respect when you see
Jay-Z, [and Roc-A-Fella Records big willies] Dame
Dash, and Biggs together. That's one thing I respect
about Ruff Ryders. I miss niggas with loyalty. I miss
sharing. Not saying I want to go back, but I miss
when you had a dollar and you and your man
chipped in for a hero and you get mad 'cuz he took
the long part. Now, no matter what you're doin' you
don't know who really loves you, and that's, like,
the worst part of this business. [In Harlem,] nobody
can be second. Everybody gotta be that nigga.
Harlem is the only niggas that don't move together.
But you 're from Harlem— what makes you different
from the rest?
I'm a team player. I signed with a team knowing
that I wasn't going to be No.i. It's like going to
North Carolina and you knowjordan's there. But
you goin' there to get a ring and win the championship.
I knew when I signed with Bad Boy that I wasn't
going to be the nigga over Biggie. Biggie's the
hardcore nigga, but he ain't going to appeal to the
hoes like I do. That was my point. So I looked at it
like, I gotta go where I fit in.
Were n V you breaking away from the team when you
signed your label deal. All Out Records, with Jermaine
Dupri's So So Def Records instead of Bad Boy?
When I did All Out, I knew I could deal with
Puff, but I wasn't sure if my sister could deal with
Puff. He's a perfectionist. He stays on top of you,
and everybody can't take that. Once you put all of
that in the same basket, then you're forced to make
the decision of money and family. And guess what?
I'ma be with family. Like, you work for VIBE, but
if the director of VIBE smack your mother, it's no
more VIBE.
Nowyou 're a part of another team- tell me aboutyour
new manager. Magic Johnson.
At the time I was kinda lost; I didn't really have
any management. And he approached me. With
every other manager there was always some ulterior
motive. But with Magic, I know he doesn't need
nothing from me, and I have everything to learn from
him. He says to me, "I don't manage you, we're busi-
ness partners. And I want this to be the last Rollie you
ever buy, the last chain, the last Benz. I want to invest
with you." And I look at Magic-his money just makes
more money. Everything is about the team. You
could be a secretary in his company— if you don't get
something right, he'll tell you the team can't win with-
out you. That's real. I've even hooked him up with
my man Allen Iverson. It's like a family. I was playin'
four-on-four with Magic on my team! And he gave
me the no-look pass!
Have you gotten over that initial femak feedingfremy
that attyoung rappers go through?
When "Only You" just came out [in 1996], I was
trying to be with everybody. But then I got older and
I just started being more discreet. You gotta think,
my sex is worth a million dollars. If [a woman] gets
pregnant [ by me] , it's worth a million dollars. At least.
So a smart man is going to
think before he just go dippin'
in every well. Is this worth a
million[dollars] or two to five
years in jail? Is this worth
everything I work for?
So what do you do when you
r see a pretty girl now?
Pretty girls don't excite me
no more-a brain and a heart
is everything. Some my best
relationships have been with
* girls that was just a-aight-look-
ing. I wouldn't say I want an
ugly girl — I just like girls who
bring more to the table than
looks. By the time you get 40,
your titties ain't gonna sit up
like that.
How do you know if a girl is
right for Mason Belha ?
You gotta give a girl a two-
year period. My mother
taught me that. It takes me
two years to buy a girl a gift.
You know how girls say
they're not there for the raon-
ey? All right, then put in your
internship! For two years
there ain't no Christmas, ain't
no Easter, ain't no birthdays.
Well, what ifl 'myour girlfriend and I want to get you
something?
Well, you don't have to do that. Ifl can't be happy
with just you, there ain't no gift you can give me to
make me happy. Girls always say it's the little things.
So we gonna base two years on the little things. We
could go out, phone calls, the movies, regular stuff.
Nothing extra: no bracelets, no rings, no trips, no
nothing. How many girls get a diamond from a nigga
that don't care nothing about them? So we're gonna
base it simply on how love started. With just
affection, and heart, and mind, and soul. Otherwise,
no matter what we do, it's not going to work 'cuz in
the back of my head I'll be thinking, Is this chick with
me for my money?
Has it ever worked ?
When it works, that'll be the right one.
I guess it didn 7 work with Brandy, huh ?
Not to dump on honey— me and Brandy was cool,
but she was never my girl, you know what I'm sayin?
I'll put it this way: I might have drove down the block,
maybe even backed up in it a couple times, but I ain't
never came out the car, and I ain't never park.
What do you think is the most misunderstood part of
Mase?
The thing that I feel most misunderstood about
1 v 1 b e
is that 1 can't be more than one thing. Let me be hard-
core and party and anything else. Because I am all
those things at different times. I can be anything you
want me to be.
But what do you want to be?
I just want to have that choice.
Did you feel like a lot of people didn V give you a choice
with this album ?
This album, a lot of people was fronting on Bad
Boy. I feel like right now, nobody wanna see Puff do
it again. So if I call somebody to sing on the song, it's
like, "I don't know, I don't know." It wasn't about the
money. It was something, but I don't know what it
was. Everybody who asked me to get on their songs-
I did it. 1 was on everything.
Did that discourageyou ormakeyou more determined f
You can't live your life for everybody. You got to
live your life for yourself and do whatever you can
live with. With the whole Harlem World situation,
that's my family! I don't care if they sell one record!
That's my sister, my brother, and some niggas off the
street. Regardless of what they make, it's more than
what they had. Who cares? I got millions for it, and
whatever! And even though their debut sales weren't
all that, they ain't fall, they just stumbled. And I
caught them. Now, it's on them to start running
again. In the end, they'll win because I'm a winner.
Do you feel like you ve achieved happiness t
Probably a month ago, I started being happy 'cause
I just started analyzing happiness. People can't make
you unhappy unless you allow them to do that. I
realized that I can't look for no one else to make me
happy. Whatever I say is my law.
Mase is my city, my state. Everybody is their own
state. If a nigga disrespect Mase, he disrespecting my
state. As the president of my state, I can let you slide,
[or] 1 can give you a two-to-three. The State of Mase
may say that you deserve a lynching. Or you might
need parole. You might need two years isolation
to think about it. Mase is my state. Can't nobody
disrespect my state without dealing with the
consequences. □
H 1 6. 1 999. CHELSEA. NEW YORK CITY
Eighteenth Street, East Orange,
N.J., a.k.a. "Ultown": the place
where Naughty by Nature's
chapter in rap 'n' roll history
begins. Friday night is usually ofT the
hizzy on this hard-knock block of clap-
board houses, but tonight it's really on:
Naughty is scheduled to perform at a
tribute concert for legendary DJ Mr.
Magic in Jamaica, Queens, and the
whole neighborhood is planning to roll
through. Supastars in PNB shirts and
Pelle Pelle jackets gulp 40s bulging out
ofpaperbagsasa 16-carprocession revs
up. Brothers all around give each other
a cross-fingered salute followed by a
hissing whistle— the signal that indicates
you're down with Illtown.
Still on the block: It's 10:50 p.m.
Mr. Magic's event is supposed to start
at 11:00, but Naughty's three-man
threat is nowhere in sight. Yet there's
a reason these boys from the 'hood arc
lagging a bit: Magic's shindig is the
group's first live concert in the New
York area in four years. It's also the out-
side world's first taste of their new dish,
tyNaughtylX: Nature 's Fury (Arista).
11:09 p.m.: Vincent "Vin Rock"
Brown, Naughty man numero dos,
appears on the boulevard. Up the road,
frontman Anthony "Treach" Criss and
Sandra "Pepa" Denton of Salt-N-Pepa,
his love partner of seven years and-
mother of his newborn daughter, exit
a relative's home to high fives. Twenty-
plus people pile into a 15-passenger
van headed for the Q-borough. "We
got the whole fucking village with us!"
screams Vinnie. Kier "Kay Gee" Gist—
Naughty's platinum-plated producer
and Dl-trails in his white Montero4!q.
It will for sure take more than a
village to blast Nature's Fury onto the
pop charts. True, the trio's 1996
Grammy-winning, platinum-selling
in the rap game; much has changed
since Paradise. Tupac and B.I.G. have
been shot to death. The South Coast
is on the map strong. Public Enemy
releases straight-to-thc-Wcb albums.
On the new track "Holiday," Vinnie
maintains "we sell no rhyme before its
time," yet these days fans seem to prefer
Beaujolais Nouveau (rough-and-tough
dawg DMX) to a respected vintage
(New Line) and 1994's Jason's Lyric
(Gramercy), among other films. Tele-
visionwise, he's flexed on the now
syndicated New York Undercover and
will appear in upcoming episodes of
OZ (HBO). Treach is also set to star in
the hip hop-flavored indie film
Boricua's Bond and Book of Love, a
"dramedy" also starring Robin Givens
and Richard Roundtree. "It's like a
with Zhane and Next (whose 1997 hit,
"Too Close," with its libidinous subject
matter, is the direct hip hop-soul
descendant of "O.P.P.").
Tonight, though, the group is hardly
resting on its laurels. During the drive
out to Queens, Vinnie turns local urban
power station Hot 97 FM up loud,
obsessively assessing the competition.
"Is niggas gonna pick up Harlem
World?" he queries the van's peanut
gallery. "Ya like that Ja Rule record?"
Some heads nod.
"Motherfuckers in the industry been
telling us they don't know what our
market value is," says Treach. Naughty
recently switched labels, moving from
legendary hip hop independent Tom-
my Boy to mainstay Arista, home to
heavy hitters Whitney Houston and
Puff Daddy, and parent of LA. Reid
and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds's
LaFace. "We don't know what their
market value is, because everything wc
done touched since we came out has
turned platinum-plus." He's mad.
When Naughty reaches Queens'
Club Paradise, Vinnie makes good on
the loyalty he feels to his hometown
crew. "You make sure everyone isn't
having trouble getting in," Vinnie tells
Johnny Ramos, one of the group's more
imposing cronies. "If our people aren't
here, we're outta here."
12:45 a.m.: Naughty's posse make
theirway through a dance floor packed
with rap icons like EPMD's Parrish
Smith, MC Shan, Kurtis Blow, and
Whodini to the VIP area. Pepa remains
casually elegant, downplaying her diva
status as if to not take away from her
boo's shine time. Treach and Vinnie
disappear to work the crowd, while Kay
Gee attempts to blend into the
woodwork. "I'm always in the corner,
analyzing," he says. But his recent
"WE WERE STRAPPED/' TREACH ADMITS. "WAS IT LEGAL?
HELL NO. BROTHAS IS DYING. IS IT LEGAL FOR ME TO DIE? COPS
SHOW UP AFTER EVERYTHING ISOVER JHEN CHALKYOU UP."
Poverty 's Paradise made noise, and their
1993 swinger, i^Naughtylll-v/nh the
anthemic, Kool-Aid-commercial
single "Hip Hop Hooray"-went plat-
inum. Also true: Their self-titled 1991
debut-an American Music Award-
winning platinum slab— exploded with
the smash ass-on-the-side mantra
"O.P.P." But four years is like a lifetime
(smooth operator Big Daddy Kane).
It's not like Naughty by Nature fell
out of the game completely: Treach
has a budding silver-screen career,
which started in 1992 when Tupac
dragged him to the set of Paramount
Pictures'/«/ff (Treach scored a minor
role as a gang member). Since then he's
appeared in 1993's Who's the Mant
male version of Waiting to Exhale," he
says. "I get my heart done dirty by a girl
who's playing me out."
Recent years have seen Kay Gee rise
to become one of hip hop and R&B's
premier studio avatars. Primarily
responsible for Naughty's boutique
labels, Illtown and Divine Mill, Kay
Gee has also scored platinum smashes
production triumphs make him the
group's biggest magnet in this star-
searching crowd. Seven-year-old rapper
Lil'Jus corners Kay Gee and implores
him to produce a track ("How can I tell
him no?" he says, laughing); minutes
later, a hustler in a double-breasted suit
stuffs a tape into Kay Gee's hand. "It's
the hottest shit out there," the hopeful
112 VIII
Copyrighted material
fila renaissance • spolier • basketball
F 1 L A I. p.*. B1ELLA/ ITALIA
aterial
says. As Kay Gee walks away, he's smil-
ing, though, saying, "You never know."
Naughty finally hit the stage at 2:19
a.m. The sheer populist force of their
live show makes it seem like it's 1991.
A master crowd motivator, Vinnie gets
the crowd to chant the "O.P.P." chorus
and wave their hands during "Hip Hop
Hooray"-just like in the video; Treach
stalks the stage with an intensity that
suggests Lennox Lewis on speed and
dazzles the audience with his patented
rapid-fire flow. When Trecheroni takes
off his shirt to reveal his tautly muscled,
tattooed chest, all the ladies in the place
let out shrieks of ecstasy. Then
Naughty go on to perform their current
single, "Dirt All by My Lonely"— the
kids go berserk. "The classics they can
jump to, but when it's brand-new,"
Treach says after ripping the mike to
shreds, "they feel it."
Nature's Fury has the potential to
satisfy old fans and new jacks alike.
"This one is more up-tempo, more
Tunnel-bangers," Kay Gee says during
a post-show moment, referring to the
sounds of the infamous New York
City nightspot (see story on page 124).
Fury also houses sunny all-night-long
anthems like "Holiday" and "Jam-
boree." Collaborations with contem-
porary hardcore heads such as Big Pun
("We Could Do It") and No Limit sol-
diers Master P, Sillck the Shocker, and
Mystikal ("Live or Die") are hard to say
no to. Naughty even get metallic with
"Radio," a heavy romp that features
up-and-coming rockers Rustic Over-
tones. "It's two rebellious cultures
coming together," says Kay Gee, an
admitted Korn and New Radicals fan.
"We can feel each other's pain."
The album's most surprising devel-
Monica Lynch. Vinnie, in fact, con-
firms that Muslim activist Conrad
Muhammad has approached him
about running for a serious post in
Newark. Despite being involved with
grassroots politics and educational pro-
grams in East Orange-in addition to
running Naughty's clothing company,
Naughty Gear-Vinnie doesn't express
any electoral aspirations. "I'm not into
that right now," he says. "I'm
interested in reestablishing my Naughty
business."
Three days after they blazed the
Magic gig: Naughty chill in Kay
Gee's basement studio and dis-
cuss ways to improve their stage
show. While located near his gritty East
Orange roots, Kay Gee's sprawling
home is the biggest house at the end
of a long street where the houses get big-
ger and bigger. There's a pool out back,
gold and platinum LPs on the walls, a
picture of the troupe posing with
Michael Jackson. It's all symbolic of the
distance they've traveled since they
began in the late '80s as the New Style,
so named for the Beastie Boys song they
built a routine around for a high school
talent show. Naughty have, however,
experienced their share of setbacks.
In 1994, Vinnie was arrested forwhat
hecallsaDWB ("driving while black")
violation by the same squad, he claims,
that shot to death Guinean immigrant
Amadou Diallo in the Bronx in Feb-
ruary; in 1997 Treach was arrested on
a weapons violation. "We were strapped
like a motherfucker," Treach admits.
"Was it legal ? Hell no. Niggas is dying.
Is it legal for me to die? Ain't nobody
gonna stop nobody comin' to kill me.
Cops show up after the shit is over, then
NAUGHTY BY NATURE:
Back in effect
MANY OF RAP'S CURRENT CHART-RULERS HAVE BUILT ON
PAGES TORN FROM NAUGHTY'S MANUAL FOR SUCCESS.
opment, however, is Vinnie's improved
flow, a real whammy coming from the
Naughty member generally voted most
likely to end up as the Andrew Ridgeley
to Treach's George Michael. "I've just
been evolving," says Vinnie. "When we
first started, I was the beatbox, Treach
was the MC, and Kay Gee was the DJ.
The game started changing, and Treach
told me, 'Vin, you got to start rhyming.'
People doubted me," he continues
coolly, knowing that he just shocked a
full house. "But when you sleep on
someone, they'll catch you off guard."
"Vinnie could run for mayor and
win," enthuses Tommy Boy head
chalk you up. Fuck that."
Naughty's biggest setback, though,
occurred when they tried to get out of
their Tommy Boy contract-the nego-
tiations of which account for most of
the delay between Poverty 5 Paradise and
Nature's Fury. Naughty and Tommy
Boy had stormy relations; there's even
a rumor that Treach released sewer rats
and boa constrictors into Lynch's
office over a financial disagreement ("It
was more like garter snakes and baby
mice," Lynch says, laughing).
But what precipitated the final break,
according to Naughty, was money. "The
game itself got expensive with big videos
and mad marketing budgets," Vinnie
says. "Tommy Boy wasn't accustomed
to that. We thought we'd try a major
label and compete with what other artists
out there are doing." Naughty says the
split was amicable, except for Tommy
Boy's decision to put out a greatest-hits
package before Nature 's Fury hit stores,
instead of six months after the new album
dropped. "Tommy Boy's trying to con-
fuse the consumer," Kay Gee growls. ("I
don't think customers will confuse the
two albums, but I'd rather not comment
on that," Lynch says).
Despite setbacks, Naughty by
Nature can take solace in the fact that
many of rap's current chart-rulers have
built on pages torn from their manual
for success. Puff Daddy's combination
of nostalgic pop samples and thuggy
street rhymes owes more than a little to
"O.P.P." and its Jackson 5 sample.
"With our past albums, people fol-
lowed us because of what we did," says
a confident Kay Gee. "That's what we're
going to do again."
"This album feels like the first
album, "Treach adds. "Our thing is let-
ting our fans know who the originators
are. Naughty is straight trendsetters,
man. We ain't nervous." Everything's
gonna be all right. □
visa
Cop
WAYS OF LOOKING AT A WHITEBOY
From The Slim Shady LP to The Chronic 2000,
historic link with Dr. Dre has literally changed the face of hip hop — and rubbed a lot of old sore spots
raw. Will he be the Elvis of rap? The Kurt Cobain? Will he serve as the messiah of true MCs or, as MC
Serch says, "corny-ass crackers"? It all depends on whom you ask. But whether you love him,
loathe him, or just don't give a fuck, all eyez are definitely on Eminem, hip hop's latest and greatest
supa MC (male Caucasian). By Rob Kenner
ILLUSTRATION BY JOE SORREN FOR VIBE
"I try not to look at it that way-
r rA being white. I don't wake up every
• day and look in the mirror, 'Oh,
I'm white.'"— Marshall "Eminem"
Mathers III, as quoted in The Los Angeles
Times, February 7, 1999.
The whiteboy reclines in a
9 deck chair beside the hotel
^KV*^ pool wearing an itchy flannel
shirt and generic baggy jeans.
He looks like he hasn't showered yet. A
colorful umbrella shades him from the
sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. Chances
are you'd walk right past him-and the
publicist chick with the purple eye
shadow-especially if you were running
late foryourappointmentwith hip hop's
Next Big Thing.
This is the guy who had Nas, RZA,
Mase, and Wyclef fawning over him
during MTV's super-duper "hip hop
week"? This is the Detroit MC who
slaughtered the "Phone Tap" beat during
Sway & Tech's "Wake Up Show" on
L.A.'s 92.3 FM and made Dr. Dre reach
for his car phone ? This is the lyrical terror
known for his macabre sense of humor,
off-kilter cadences, and complex inter-
locking rhyme schemes? Well, you'll be
a monkey's uncle.
"We're working on The Chronic 2," the
whiteboy announces off the bat. He
seems remarkably unintimidated by the
notion of collaborating with the creative
genius responsible for the success of
N.W.A and Death Row. Or of penning
rhymes for rap superstars like Snoop
Dogg, or of trying to top what very well
might be the most important album-in
any genre-of the past decade. "I just want
to be involved, writing for it, helping," he
says. "Drc's album is gonna be done a lot
sooner than we thought it was. It's
doper than the first one. I kid you not. I'm
working with this guy Royce, an MC who
I brought from Detroit. Ever since we got
involved with it, shit has been coming
along real hot."
American sparringpartner, who recently
signed a big fat deal of his own with
Tommy Boy. "Everybody who was any-
body on the Detroit hip hop scene knew
he was the man, but when he goes on the
stage in front of a bunch of people who
don't know him, he's judged before he
even rhymes. It's like, 'He's a whiteboy.
B0000000V He's nicer than everybody,
still, he feel like he gotta rock extra harder.
Everybody's on his dick at the end, but
he remembers how they acted. He don't
even wanna claim Detroit-he only says
'Detroit' on his album, like, twice 'cause
of the way he was treated there. Just for
being a white MC."
I • "I was hoping to God his shit
A(Tl i<~ was gonna pop," says Kid
Rock, the Motor City's pri-
I mordial blue-collar,
whiteface rapper. "'Cuz I
felt he was one of the
best MCs sine
Biggie."
Excuse me?
"Just his witti-
ness...Em's witty
like that in the way
he forms his
words. But he does it
in his own way, staying
true to his trailer-park
roots." Rock's latest collection of pimp-
funk, Devil Without a Cause (Atlantic,
1998), features a duet with Eminem called
"Fuck Off."
"Have you ever seen him write a
rhyme? He fucking murders the paper.
This is how serious about hip hop he is.
He writes so small, all over the paper. He
neverputs his rhymes all together. He has
little rhymes all over, twisted, crooked,
here, here. When he gets done writing on
a piece of paper, the paper is shrunk. He
goes, 'That's so nobody can ever steal my
rhymes.' I was like, 'Dude, you're out of
your fuckin' mind.' He's serious as cancer.
I love him."
"People in Detroit still ain't
really supporting Eminem like
they should be," says Royce,
Em's 5-foot-9-inch African-
<*5
"I don't feel like my life is
anybody's business." Back
poolside, Eminem sounds
angrier than he should be.
It's a glorious day, bright blue skies over
Los Angeles, and he's sipping on Evian,
compliments of Interscopc Records. "I
don't like to give the sob story: growing
up in a single-parent home, never knew
my father, my mother never worked, and
when my friends came over I'd hide the
welfare cheese. Yo, I failed ninth grade
three times, but I don't think it was nec-
essarily 'cause I'm stupid. I didn't go to
school. 1 couldn't deal." He says the song
"Brain Damage"-on which a bully tells
him, 'You gonna die, honky,' and beats
him until he bleeds from his ears-is a true
story. "Up until (the part where] my brain
falls out of my head."
"I get offended when people come to
me and ask me, 'So being a white rap-
per...' and 'Being that you're white...'
and 'So growing up white...' and 'After
being born white...' and white white
white white is all I ever seem to hear-
instead of the music.
"When I was 9 years old, my uncle
put me on to the Breakin 'soundtrack.
The first rap song I ever heard was
Ice-T, 'Reckless.' From L.L. to
the Fat Boys, and all that shit,
I was fascinated. When L.L.
first came out with I'm
Bad, I wanted to do it,
to rhyme. Standing
in front of the mir-
ror, I wanted to be
likeLL."
According to the
lyrics of "Brain Damage," though, the face
staring back from young Marshall Mather
Ill's mirror would've been hard to con-
fuse with that of James Todd Smith. "I
wore spectacles / With taped frames and
a freckled nose / A corny-looking white
boy, scrawny and always ornery."
"Money's the fucking science,"
says MC Serch of 3rd Bass, one
of rap's best-loved whites. "He
really is. He's original. He's
crafty. He can hold his own with any-
body. I think he really cares about the shit
he kicks— for himself. I don't think he gives
a fuck about anybody else. I think he gen-
uinely rhymes into a mirror. 'Cause he's
spitting for himself. He would be a dan-
gerous mother/wr&rin a battle, boy.
"My main concern with his record
being this big is whether the door now
opens up for the most corny, bullshit-ass
crackers to come through the pipeline. ...
There's a lot of crackers that are making
records that say, 'Yo, this ain't black
music, it's just music' Eat a dick. It's black
music. We're now looking at a renaissance
period for hip hop. It's becoming global,
so everyone's making it. That's fine, but
don't open your mouth telling me, 'This
ain't black music' 'Cause you gotta
respect it. You can have respect for your-
self and your culture, and still recognize.
"Only time will tell. It could go two
ways: Either Em will make record com-
panies realize that they need to support
true MCs, or they will put more money
behind white artists than black artists, and
hip hop will become just like rock 'n' roll.
That, to me, would be the equivalent of
Revelation. You might as well just blow up
the earth. It would be so disgustingly vile."
"A white MC should never try
lU-to be a black MC," Harry Allen,
j| hip hop activist and media
™ assassin, writes via e-mail.
"Which, when you think about it, would
naturally eliminate a lot of the average
white MCs' content, beginning with the
proclivity to 'rap.'"
Allen's hard-line is based upon an
acute sense of racism pervading Ameri-
can society at all levels. "While racism
(white supremacy) is often hard for many
people to see, not to mention under-
stand—even for nonwhite people who are
the object of it-the phenomenon of white
rappers can, very usefully, help people,
especially nonwhite people, see and
understand how white supremacy
(racism) works.
"By observing the rewards that a white
rapper of a given 'skill level' will receive
(magazine covers and major articles, wide
television exposure, large album sales,
'pop' airplay, powerful associations with
'top stars,' movie offers, modeling deals,
etc.), versus what a nonwhite rapper of
similar 'skills' might get (a video, some
record reviews), it's very easy to convey
the notion of benefits associated with
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IVE CLUB
BIG MYSTER
you'd stand in line blocks long for a ticketyou'd grease a scalper's palm to
see this show you still won't get in you'd stand in line blocks long for a
ticket you'd grease a scalper's palm to see this show-you still won't get
in you'd stand in line blocks long for a ticketyou'd grease a scalper's palm
to see this show you still won't get in win a trip to the after set concert-it's
the only way to get there win a trip to the after set concert-it's the only way
to get there-win a trip to the after set concert-it's the only way to get ther
white supremacy.
"I'd say the key to
Eminem's success is that
Dr. Dre is producing a
'photogenic' white rap-
per for Interscope, which i
signed with the largest record
distributor in the universe. A distinct
form of optimization is, thus, part of this
equation. This comes as no surprise
given the fact that hip hop culture is in
a state of virtual surrender to the system
of white supremacy. It has deemed that
to be the subject of the refined practice
of racism by white supremacists is the
'best' way to exist."
£^ Perhaps whiteness is not what
^we (inaccurately) call a race, but
rather, in the words ol the New
Abolitionists, a "historically
constructed social formation consisting
of all those who partake ot the privileges
of the white skin in society. " The simplest
example is the Irish, who were not always
considered "white" in the social and eco-
nomic sense of the word. Same for Poles,
Slavs, Jews, and other less-than-Anglo
immigrants. But if whiteness can be
bestowed, as it has been to these other
groups, it can also be withdrawn. Or
refused. Or dismantled. This is a worthy
goal. And one that has rarely been
attempted.
When Eminem says, "I'm tired of
being white trash / broke and always
poor" on the brooding confessional "If
I Had," the sentiment is simple. But on
"Bad Meets Evil," Eminem's first col-
laboration with Royce, things get weird:
"I don't speak / 1 float in the air wrapped
in a sheet / I'm not a real person / I'm a
ghost trapped in a beat." But the most
puzzling rhyme is the one on which
Eminem seems to vanish into vapor.
"Some people only see that I'm white,
ignoring skill / 'Cause I stand out like a
green hat with an orange bill / But I'm
not pissed / Y'all can't even see through
the mist / How the fuck can I be white? /
I don't even exist."
fTve seen Eminem sit Dr. Dre
down in the studio," says
Royce's manager. Kino, "and
make Dre look like a pupil. I
mean, seriously. Dre will tell you.
Eminem is more critical than he is. He's
more of a perfectionist than anybody in
our circle. A lot of the songs he's written
tor Dre, he will make Dre damn near go
word by word and piece it all together.
There's been times when Dre was like,
'Yo, let's just cut for the night.' Em'll tell
Dre like, ' Yo, how the fuck you think you
gonna get an album done like this?'"
120 w i a a
EMINEM
RAPS
LIKE
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55
SAXS
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MTy:
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THAT
^ITT^
yA sfFf\ "Imagine the irony of
nl V\_Vp\ wnlte youth imitating a
• certain kind of Negro
dress," wrote LeRoi Jones
in i963'sfl/««/ > ro/>i!r(Quill/William Mor-
row). "Or even more ironic, the assump-
tion by a great many young white Ameri-
cans of many elements of a kind of Negro
speech. . .Certainly a white man wearing a
zoot suit or talking bop talk cannot enter
into the mainstream of American society.
More important, that white man does not
desire to enter the mainstream because all
he would have to do is change clothes and
start 'talking right' and he would be easily
reinstated. "Jones (later known as the Black
Power poet Amiri Baraka) admits only one
exception to this analysis: "The poorwhite-
boy in a really integrated neighborhood
might pick up these elements ot Negro cul-
ture simply as social graces within his
immediate group."
jA jA At age 12, Eminem moved
01 01 w ' tn n ' s mom to ^ ast
» » Detroit, where they were
the only palefaces in the
neighborhood, except for a group of
bikers. One night, Em brought Proof, a
good friend and fellow MC who was then,
and still is, black, home with him. Why
you bringingthem niggers around herefyeWed
a biker neighbor, or words to that effect,
brandishing an AK-47. "What are you
gonna do?" Em taunted. "Shoot me in
front of my mother's house?" That's
when the biker squeezed off a warning
burst, sending Proof and Eminem fleeing
into the night.
Proof, who records for the indepen-
dent Detroit label Hostile Takeover
Records, says he's Em's "boy for life,"
although they fell out of touch before
Slim Shady blew up. "Keep in mind, he's
always lived in black neighborhoods.
Even back then, I considered him a
whiteboy who raps, rather than a white-
boy who's tryin' to be black. I remember
he said motherfucker m a rhyme— just like
that, (mother... fucker). He didn't try to
copy the slang. '
"When I was going to Osborne High,
on the east side of Detroit— Em was a
dropout at the time-I snuck him in the
school 'cause this guy wanted to battle
me. I was like, 'I ain't gonna battle you,
you can't even beat this whiteboy.' We
did the whole While Men Can 'tjump thing
on him. Em whipped his ass and the
whole lunchroom was loving it."
4&
[Ring] "Universal
Records." Can I please
speak with Wendy
Washington in the
publicity department? "One moment
please..." {ring] "Publicity." Hi. I'm try-
ing to arrange an interview with Vanilla
Ice. "Oh, this is the urban department.
You want pop." [ring]
Ginger in the pop department listens
to the request-will Vanilla Ice agree to be
interviewed for a piece about Eminem?
Her response would surely warm Slim
Shady's heart. "What is the connection
between those two?"
Vanilla Ice calls his new style of music
"skate rock." His latest album, Hard to
Swallow, was produced by Ross Robin-
son, who shaped the sound of whiteboy
ensembles Korn and Limp Bizkit.
(Eminem recently recorded a song with
Limp Bizkit called "Our House.") This
rock-rap fusion pioneered by Bad Brains
and popularized by Rage Against the
Machine is only the latest explosion of
rap unwrapped, hip hop without the
racial tension.
Many whiteboy MCs and DJs and B-
boys know in their hearts that they would
never steal hip hop because they love it
too much. True hip hop, after all, is a col-
or-blind arena, and they just want to be
a part of it. Them and their friends. But
somehow there comes a day when they
all look up and there's no black people at
their jams anymore.
As dope as Eminem may be, how can
he avoid falling into the crosshairs of a
global entertainment megamachine that
senses they've struck a demographic jack-
pot? For here is an artist who can appeal
to backpackers, skate rockers, and 'N Sync
fans alike. Of course he can't, and still stay
true to his intrinsic Slim Shadiness. Right?
So a call is placed to Miami, where
Robert "Vanilla Ice" Van Winkle, the
original corny whiteboy MC-whose
blond dreads Eminem once promised to
rip out— rides motorbikes and gets tattoos
and makes a record when he feels like it.
Ice asks if he can be honest. "I don't like
to lie to anybody," he says. "Or beat
around the bush. I don't really look at
colors as far as rap goes. I just like to listen
to music, and my honest opinion
is... Eminem raps like a girl, man. I know
he's all over MTV. Much success to him.
I'm not a player hater or nothin' like that.
I just don't like that little squeaky voice,
you know? I'm not feeling it at all. He
sounds like a little wimpy guy, you know?
"His stuff is okay, but it's meaningless.
The words are meaningless. Slim Shady?
Wlio caresfWhat's * slim shady? Back in
the day, I was totally embraced by the
black audience. But then my record com-
pany crossed me over to the pop market.
I became a record-label whore, but I was
getting fucking paid. My album To the
Extreme sold 15 million copies. When 1
outsold everybody that had invented the
music form-and me being white-they
kinda took it offensively. I really don't
Copyr
DonCheadle Cicely Tyson MekhiPhifer
AN HBO ORIGINAL MOVIE
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BASED ON THE BEST-SELLING NOVEL BY ERNEST J.GAINES
HBO NYC prisinis i SPANKY PICTURES mm in associaiion wim ELLEN M. KRASS prouucik a JOSEPH SARGENT him DON CHEAOLE CICELY TYSON MEKHI PHIEER "A LESSON BEFORE DYING"
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co producer CELIA COSTAS producer ROBERT BENEDEI1I cxecuiive producers ELLEN M. KRASS JOELSIILLERMAN TEDDEMME
mma ANN PEACOCK baseuon ihe hqvel ey ERNEST J. GAINES direcuqby JOSEPH SARGENT
Saturday, may 22, 8 pm et/9:30 pm pt
HB© NYC
TO SUbSCribC tO HBO C3ll 1*B00*466"6500. WWW.tlbO.COh1 ©1999 Home ta Office, a 0MS«iiot Time Wantf Enfertairtnenl Cooipany L P All rnjhR i?serrtd ® Service marts o< Tim! Warner Ertlertaifimeni Company. LP IT'S NOT TV ITS HBO'
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blame them, you know? It wasn't my fault
the record sold so much. But I was a tar-
get, and a lot of people kind of turned
their back on me.
"I don't have anything against hip
hop. That's where I came from. I love hip
hop. But honestly, it hasn't really grown
too much. You got Puffy doing the same
shit I did fuckin' nine years ago. It's like
come on, get something new going."
yA Every lamppost on the
nl TlS\ block sports a hello ! MY
» _ JJ NAME IS SLIM SHADY
poster. A sexy throng of
club-clothes-clad rap fans stand outside
in the cold midnight air, waiting to infil-
trate the Sound Factory, an industrial-
strength nightspot on the West Side of
Manhattan. Tonight is Eminem's record-
release party. Tomorrow he's off to Can-
cun for MTV's Spring Break coverage.
Inside, hip hop's whiteboy mafia is
all up in the house. John "Shckky Green"
Schecter, Em's co-manager and co-
founder of Game Records, pours cham-
pagne for a bevy of babes known as the
"Game Girls." Underground legend DJ
Stretch Armstrong has just arrived after
backing Em up at a quick Staten Island
performance. "That shit was off the
hinges," he enthuses. MC Serch slides
downstairs to give Em a preshow pound.
A man who says he's Milkbone's man-
ager-Milkbone being another Caucasoid
rapperwho receives a little white-on-white
violence on the Slim Shady album— is dis-
traught over not being admitted to the
dressing room. His way is blocked by a
grumpy, disheveled publicist, and his col-
league, a towering black security guard
who could barely fit through the door-
if he did decide to open it.
A pair of 18-year-old females wearing
extra-glossy lipstick hover nearby. Jill and
Amanda have come in from New Jersey,
hoping to initiate a Shady liaison. "I
wanna meet him," says one of the bright-
eyed WGs (or "white girls," as they're
known to playas of all hues). "I wanna
talk to him." Do not block the door! shouts
the bouncer. Either in or out, people!
The door swings open, and out springs
Eminem. His hair is close-cropped and
bleach-blond, just like in the video. His
hoodie is «rra-extra large. The silver chain
attached to his newly fattened billfold
glints in the colored lights. He and Royce
jump to the stage and start into their
underground hit, "Scary Movies." Their
verbal gymnastics are flawless, though
most of the crowd is unfamiliar with the
song. That's when Em announces that
he's gonna take it back for a minute. "This
is one of my. ..not the. ..but one of my
favorite songs in hip hop."
Stretch Armstrong scratches into the
instrumental as Royce and Em rock an
oldie-but-goodie: Dr. Dre's i993"Nuthin'
But a 'G' Thing." The thick-ass bass-
boom shocks the crowd awake all the way
to the back of the room. A giant disco ball
shoots silvery spears in all directions as
two loe'd-out Gs go crazy. "Put 'em up,
put 'em up, put 'em up, come on, yo. . ..
Sing that shit'." Royce reinforces the
punchlines as Eminem raps "One, two,
three and to the four / Snoop Doggy
Dogg and Dr. Dre is at the door.
The pert pair ofWGs press to the front
of the stage, caught up in the rapture. By
the time Slim gets to "My Name Is," even
the sisters are singing along as he ponders
"which Spice Girl I wanna impregnate."
When Stretch lifts the needle, Em
drops his pants, exposing a pair of chicken
legs and geometric-patterned boxer
shorts. The girls in the front row appraise
the goods carefully. "Can I be arrested
now?" the star says with a smirk. Then he
steps off the stage.
"I love Eminem, but I don't love hip
hop," Jill explains with a giggle. "He's so
oooo-riginal. And so cute. You gotta go
tell him. Tell him I wanna marry him."
Amanda isn't so sure, but she joins her
friend in the
postshow line
outside Em's
dressing room
door. "He's cute,"
Amanda says, "but
some of his lyrics are
kinda fucked up."
"Oh my God,"
Jill interrupts. "I
love every single
song. Like, some
people don't know
how to rap and they
have good beats,
but he has both.
He's so original and
so cute." A girl just in
front of them pulls down
her tube top so Eminem
can sign her breast.
Shrugging off the song
where Slim and his 2-year-old
daughter dump his lady's
corpse in the river, Jill pines
away. "Oh no, he's just kidding.
I love him. And I know once he
sees me, we'll be together forever.
He's perfect..."
"He ;'j cute," Amanda says, "for a
white guy." □
Additional reportinghy Peter Relic
State of V>&>Dv&7\,i*i&
7. ^
C^UtfiWi dS> M ffc e got a few cowboys up here, ' says Michigan's
(IK 't ^A?V/ original alabaster microphone-blaster, Kid Rock.
■^FTi i «l| V Folks like Rock and Eminem are representing a
proud tradition of their home state: the crazy-ass white dude.
"I don't know if it's so much musical," Rock continues, "or a blue-collar thing. I
couldn't even tell ya. Maybe it's somethin' in the fuckin' water up here." Herewith,
an informal rogue's gallery of Michigan meshuggeners. Amy Linden
»J IGGY POP: Poet laureate ot punk rock and patron saint
I of acting badly. Raised in trailer park. As a Stooge, onstage
I in the '70s, smeared Skippy's on naked torso and rolled
around in broken glass. Wanted to be your dog years before
^^^^^^ DMX was even born.
JACK KERVORK1AN: Not the doc you want to make
v flV housecalls.SmileslessfrequentlythanPatchAdams.com-
^L t mits euthanasia on national television.
Wffr J Bfefr , TED NUGENT:TheofficialMotorCityMadman.Ax-
^SWf*^" ? slinging, bow-hunting, heavy-metal guitar god now has career
jf , as right-wing-zealot radio shock jock. Once claimed to be a
™ f "bigger nigger than Russell Simmons."
^ CHARLTON HESTON: Former Moses and Homo-
sapien visitor to the Planet of the Apes. Current president of
the NRA and apologist for gun manufacturers. Let the (white)
people bear arms or Charlton'll smite your sorry ass!
MARK FIDRYCH: Blond-afroed, flash-in-the-pan
rookie of the year for the 1 976 Detroit Tigers. Boasted a super-
sonic fastball, a wicked curve, and a penchant for talking to
sports equipment.
ALICE COOPER: Golf-playing, blood-sucking horror
rocker took on a chick's name and sold millions of records
when Marilyn Manson was merely a gleam in his parents' eyes.
And remember, back in the early '70s, wearing makeup and
worshipping Satan was more than just a marketing scam. (Or
at least it was a more original marketing scam.)
ED MCMAHON: Former Johnny Carson cohort, Sfar
Search emcee, and Publishers' Clearing House shill. It's always
been painfully obvious that this way-too-jolly Michiganite never
had more than the slightest grasp on reality. "You are correct sir!"
M I C H AE L J AC KS O N : Not really white, not really
from Michigan, but easily crazy enough to make our list.
INSANE CLOWN POSSE: Lucky rap duo made Hj
headlines in '96 when Disney-owned Hollywood Records Hfl
recalled their album The Great Milenko for its violent, profane
lyrics. ICP scores major points for getting into a brawl in a /,
Greenfield. Ind., Waffle House and for the two-day bid mem- ]tf%
ber Violent J served at a Michigan mental institution for "pan- k I \
ic attacks." This posse of clowns is totally insane!!! ✓.<*' "
4
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122 VIII
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Copyrighted material
r LOOK mSlDE
MOSTm£°g^
MOST OF THE TINE, MUSIC
is two-dimensional. Like Michelangelo's masterpieces
and Chris Tucker in 70 mm, the waves of sound that
penetrate ears and bob heads have only a longitude and
an amplitude-a length and a width. But there are rooms,
special rooms, where music is played loudly, rooms
where people are packed tight, decked out in their flyest
gear. They dance and celebrate and surrender as
speakers blast. It is within
these rooms that t
music's third dimen-
sion, its sense of place,
is conjured. On Sun-
day nights for the past
six years, hip hop has
had such a room.
It's carved out of a ren-
ovated railroad termi-
nal on the windswept .
corner of 12th Avenue J
and 27th Street on Man-
hattan's West Side. Wel-
come to the Tunnel.
The Tunnel is ,
where Biggie, and
then Puffy, and L
then the rest of the Bad
Boy sound first reigned
supreme. It's a friendly
hometown laboratory for
L.L. and Jay-Z, Foxy
Brown and MaryJ. Blige,
Black Moon and Busta
Rhymes. It's also where
New York welcomes (usu-
ally with a complimentary
bottle of Dom) hip hop's
conquering heroes: Lauryn
Hill, Jermaine Dupri,
Snoop, Juvenile, 2 Live
Crew, and Da Brat. Then
there are the celebs: Mike
Tyson, Denzel Washing- 1
ton, NBA and NFL players,
and various hangers-on. And
last-but most— there's the
roiling sea of hip hop heads
whose devotion and pil-
grimage make the Tunnel a
kinetic, living extension of
hip hop's populist soul. As
Busta puts it: "They don't
bang nothing but hip hop at
the Tunnel," he says, "if it's
blazin' in there, it's the shit nig-
gas want on the street. And as
an artist, ifyou can make moth-
erfuckers there jump and wild-
out, then you know [your
music] is on."
WhatStudio54wastodisco '
Sundays at the Tunnel have
been to rap: a legendary scene, and-with all due respect
to points west and south-the epicenter of a culture.
But for all the grand sweep of the Tunnel's relevance
in hip hop history, its story begins with a few core indi-
viduals: club owner Peter Gatien, original Sunday-
night promoterjessica Rosenblum, her then colleague
Chris Lighty, and DJ Funkmaster Flex.
Gatien, 46, has been the reigning czar of New
York's club scene for the past 16 years. Icy-smooth,
silver-haired, and certifiably notorious, he has a per-
manently closed eye (courtesy of a teen-age hockey
accident)
mp HOP W HIG
t.
Ha I
MOWT
IS BP HOP'S MO
RONICLES
I'
that is often veiled by a pair of dark
sunglasses. He was raised in Ontario, Canada, where
he opened his first club at age 19 with the insurance
money from his eye injury. He made his way to New
York, and in 1983, renovated an abandoned
PHOTOGRAPHED BY ALEX TEH RAN I SEPTEMBER 26, 1998-MARCH 7, 1999, THE TUNNEL, N.Y.C.
TH DAY EVENTISTS:
nd DJ Funkmaster Flex
the Sunday-night party.
THE INFAMOUS:
Tunnel owner
Peter Gatien chills
in the coed
bathroom.
Episcopal church in the city's Chelsea neighborhood
and turned it into a massive dance club called
the Limelight.
In the early '90s, Gatien opened three new N.Y.C.
venues. Each, like the Limelight, had space tor more
than 2,000 party-goers. The clubs made him millions.
There was the Palladium in the Village and Club USA
in Times Square. The Tunnel-an 80,000-square-toot,
once-decrepit building-was the last to open. But the
space had already been turned into a club and had
already been named the Tunnel. Originally opened
in 1987 by Rudolf Piepcr, a German-born nightlife
impresario, the club did have hip hop (mostly on
Thursday nights). Although the hip hop KCDC at the
Tunnel under Piepcr is fondly remembered by many
New York club-goers, it was overshadowed by other
Manhattan spots like the Roxy and the Red Zone.
That is, until 1992, when Gatien bought, renovated,
and enlarged the club, then opened it for business.
"I liked the space right away," Gatien says from his
stately wood-paneled office in the Tunnel.
The club is little more than one huge dance floor.
A rectangular 50-foot bar barely takes up a quarter of
its giant main room. The DJ booth is attached to the
front side of the bar, and there's a long hallway adja-
cent to the main floor, divided into several lounge
areas. Then there is the notorious coed bathroom,
which has its own full-service bar.
At first, the club's soundtrack under Gatien was tech-
no and house-and the Tunnel still caters to that crowd
on Fridays and Saturdays. But Gatien and company felt
a revolution brewing. "We sensed early on that rap was
about to blow up," he says.
Meanwhile, Funkmaster Flex was already work-
ing for Gatien, spinning old-school sets on Saturdays
at the Palladium. Jessica Rosenblum was Flex's man-
ager. A former doorwoman at New York's legendary
'80s nightspot Nell's, Rosenblum was also an up-and-
coming club and DJ promoter. She was raised in
upstate New York, attended a posh Connecticut
boarding school (where she broadcast a hip hop show
on its radio station), and moved to Manhattan at age
17. She met Russell Simmons and other hip hop lumi-
naries at Nell's and fell in love with the music. In the
late '80s, Rosenblum began promoting Monday
nights at another popular club, Odeon.
"I had the DJ play hip hop, and word got out. Run-
D.M.C. showed up in matching Cadillac Seville*.
Russell [Simmons] was always there," Rosenblum
says, picking at a salad in a French restaurant near her
downtown apartment. She's a 33-year-old blonde who
is high-pitched in voice, demeanor, and attitude.
" [ Rising record executis'e] Andre Harrell used to
always try to get in," she says. "He was like, 'I'm
gonna start my own label.' I was like, 'No,' 'cause he
wore bad shoes." Harrell eventually struck up a
friendship with Rosenblum. "In '89, Andre asked
me to put on a party for Heavy D [& the Boyz) in
celebration of his Bjglymt (Uptown/MCA, 1989)
album going platinum," she says. When she went
to Harrell's office he introduced her to a new
employee. "Andre said, 'This is my new intern,
Puffy.'" Rosenblum says of the future king of Bad
Boy, "Puffy was very humble and polite."
In 1991, Puffy convinced Rosenblum to help him
start Daddy's House, a party at another Manhattan
club called the Red Zone. In December of that year,
Rosenblum was working with Puffy and Heas'y D at
a celebrity basketball game. The es'ent, held at
V I B a 127
Manhattan's City College, turned
tragic when the crowd stormed the
doors to get in-nine people were killed
and 29 injured. Rosenblum is defensive
about the incident. "I had absolutely
nothing to do with organizing the event,"
she says. "Heavy and Puffy asked me to
watch the cashiers because they said they
couldn't agree on another person who they trusted."
Rosenblum, unlike Puffy and Heavy D, was not
named in any of the several ensuing lawsuits. (Puffy
and Heavy were jointly found 50 percent reponsi-
ble for the tragedy; the City University of New York
system was found responsible for the other 50 per-
cent.) Puffy declined to answer any questions for this
article; a publicist for Heavy D says he has no com-
ment on the City College incident.
Around this time, Puffy and Rosenblum's Red
Zone party started drawing music-industry types and
street heads, one ofwhom was a relatively unknown
DJ from the Bronx who had only recently graduated
from carrying the record crates of New York mix-DJ
icon Red Alert. His name was Aston Taylorjr., but
he went by the tag Funkmaster Flex. Eventually,
Rosenblum and Flex had lunch. She
made him a promise: "I said, 'I'm
going to make you the biggest hip
hop DJ there is," Rosenblum says.
"Of course, I had no idea what I was
talking about."
Nevertheless, Flex was soon spinning
at clubs all over the city. A few months later, Rosen-
blum was driving in Los Angeles and had an inspi-
ration. "The name for a new party, a hip hop-only
party, hit me: Mecca. I thought, We'll do it on Sun-
day nights, and it'll be the hottest shit ever." Flex
agreed to be the house DJ and the party opened at
The Supper Club, a ballroom in midtown Man-
hattan, on Sunday, November 22, 1992.
By all accounts, Mecca clicked within a month
of its debut. Until then, the hip hop community had
been relatively insular and the music hadn't blown
up on the radio. The City College incident had
cooled the party scene. Saturday nights at the Pal-
ladium drew a more mainstream crowd, and it had
been years since the glory days of the seminal '80s
clubs the Latin Quarter, the Rooftop, and the Roxy.
As Mecca's size and reputation grew, it bounced
THE HOST WITH
THE MOST: Chrto *.
hty (center) with
New Orioans Btfl
TymeraBryaH
"Baby-WtoWj
(loft) and DfcpMS
around several Manhattan locations. Finally,
Gatien made an offer to Rosenblum and Flex: Bring
Mecca to the Tunnel. The party opened there in
"IT WAS ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE RIGHT GIRLS.
THEN TOD ADDED YOUR RAPPERS, YOUR INDUSTRY PEOPLE,
YOUR BOHEMIANS, YOUR HUSTLERS, AND HAD THEN ALL MINGLE."
1993. "I didn't know if it was going to come off,"
says Flex, whose cherubic face belies his 31 years.
"The Tunnel was such a big place, and on a Sun-
day night!" By this time, Rosenblum had hooked
up with Chris Lighty, a Bronx native who also got
his start carrying records for Red Alert. Lighty, now
30 and the head of Violator Records and Manage-
ment, eventually went on to manage A Tribe Called
Quest, Jungle Brothers, and De La Soul. (Today,
he and his partner, Mona Scott, represent Busta,
Missy Elliott, Mobb Deep, and Next, among
others.) Lighty met Rosenblum at one of Puffy's
parties. "At first, I was like, 'Who is this little white
girl?'" says Lighty, rubbing his closely cropped
head, seated in Violator's lower Manhattan offices.
"But by the time we started promoting Mecca
together I got used to it."
Lighty added street credibility to Rosenblum's
manic energy. "Chris is smart.'' she says. "He knew,
and could deal really well with, j whole other segment
of people than 1 could." Lighty helped work the door
and Handled security. Things started slowly. "But by,
like, the third week, it was rammed," Lighty says. "It
was incredible," continues Rosenblum. "Everybody
who was anybody came out, but it was bigger. Kids
were driving up from Virginia. Kim Porter [Puff s cur-
rent girlfriend] used to fly up from Atlanta."
The party was on. Cages that showcased writhing
female dancers were hung from support columns
on the dance floor. Flex would spin old school and
classics until 1 a.m., then move on to newer, more
underground tracks. "In the beginning," he says, "it
was just about keeping people in there, dancing, no
matter what. It wasn't easy 'cause it's a hard room to
play-real long and thin." In 1992, Flex had gotten
Copy
his own radio show on New York hip
hop station Hot 97, WQHT-FM.
"Until then, DJs were mostly breaking
records on the radio and then taking
them to the clubs. I was doing it the
opposite way," he says. "I'd play a record
on the air and say it was the new Tunn
banger. It was, like, 'Two thousand
people felt this last Sunday, so you should feel this.
You're gonna feel this.'"
Ask Flex today about early Tunnel bangers and he
mentions Craig Mack's 1994 platinum hit, "Flava in
Ya Ear," Snoop's 1993 "Gin and Juice," and "all of the
Black Moon joints." But nobody reaped the benefits
of Tunnel exposure more than Puffy's Bad Boy
else," says Flex. Anecdotes abound:
Mike Tyson, Denzel, and half of the
Knicks' starting five on the dance floor
(not with each other). Christmas
with Biz Markie. New Year's with 2
Live Crew. A barefoot Puffy buying
out the bar. Biggie holding court in the
famous coed bathroom.
Ah, yes, the bathroom. As Lighty puts it: "That's
where the real Sodom-and-Gomorrah-type shit goes
down." A former security guard recalls: "I've caught
people in the bathroom having oral sex. One time,"
he continues, "after a particular artist was on the mike,
he proclaimed to the crowd that if any bitches
wanted to hang with him and his entourage they'd
TUNNEL ANECDOTES ABOUND:
NKE TYSON, DENZEL, AND HALF OF THE KNICKS'
SIWrDIC FlfE M TIE IMCE FLOOR. CHRISTMAS WITH BIZ MARKIE.
NEW YEAR S WITH 2 LIVE CREW.
roster. "Nothing compared to Puffy, Lil' Kim, Mase,
and, more than anybody, Biggie," says Flex. Puffy
would bring all the latest Bad Boy remixes, and Flex
would usually hit them offbetween l a.m. and 2 a.m.
"That's when the roof comes off," he says, smiling.
But the Tunnel was equally about chemistry. "It was
especially about the right girls," says Lighty. "The pret-
tiest girls. About getting the downtown girls with the
uptown guys, the Soho vibe meeting the Harlem Worid
vibe," he says. "Then you added your rappers, your
industry people, your bohemians, your husders, and
had them all mingle. " The lines to get in— separate ones
for men and women because everyone was frisked-
fbrmed hours before the club opened at 10:00 p.m. The
police would close off the block to keep the street clear.
Admission: up to $75. Often, Lighty and Rosenblum
would shut the doors at midnight, and then contend
with latecomers offering $200 to $300 to get in.
Exacdy how much money was being taken in is an
open question. "We made money, but not nearly as
much as people thought,
says Rosenblum.
She was twice robbed
at gunpoint: once in
her apartment after
coming home from
the club, and a second
time in her car outside
of her apartment.
But not everyone was
contributing equally to
the club's cash flow.
Celebrities and industry
luminaries began showing
up in droves. They didn t
pay to get in, but they did
mix with the crowd. And
the Tunnel never opened
its VIP room on Sundjys.
"The stars were there in one
big room with everyone a • J
FLY PAPER: Mecca parties packed star power
Mill!
have to be fuckin' or suckin.' Thirty females came
back and was doing their thing— and that's a modest
estimate. Brothers do crush a lot at the Tunnel."
But sex isn't the only thing in the air. By all
accounts, the mood-changer of choice on Sundays
at the Tunnel was, and is, marijuana (and, as Flex
puts it, "a whole lot of CristaP). "The hip hop crowd
is not a big hard-drug crowd," says Gatien. " [Sunday
is] the night we throw out the least amount of
people for drug use."
Other nights at the club, however, drew crowds that
were more interested in cocaine and designer drugs,
especially ecstasy. By early 1995, authorities had
taken notice, and the club, on all nights, was
regularly infiltrated by teams of undercover Drug
Enforcement Agency and NYPD officers.
"The cops were watching us, and we knew it," says
Lighty. "They knew all the hard drugs were going
down on other nights, but it's not like they weren't
going to watch the black night." Lighty says an under-
cover officer eventually approached him. "He was like,
'Why do you guys have bulletproof vests on?' I said,
'Well, modierfiickers out here got guns.'
He said, 'Well, you're
implying you've got
guns too.' Shit, of
course we did. This was
the Tunnel, not kinder-
garten. I remember
Tupac coming to the
door and me having to
be like, Pac, please, put
your gun in the car.'"
Aside from the met-
Hpfprton; and frUlcimr
w en, moment
Aside from the met-
al detectors and frisking,
the club's Sunday-night
■canity force-composed
>f up to 60 (as opposed to
only 20 on Fridays and
Saturdays) extremely large
off-duty police officers, ex-
military types, and part-
time bodyguards— devel-
GET THE
1DIGITS
Here are some actual
f actuals about Manhattan's
legendary nightclub,
Harper's Index style.
By Davie Hughes
The number of functional eyes
Tunnel owner Peter Gatien has
The number of bar mitzvahs ever held at the Tunnel
i:i
The ratio of Alize to Hennessy needed to make the Tun-
nel's most popular drink, Thug's Passion
2
The number of single-sex bathrooms
at the Tunnel
The number of coed bathrooms
at the Tunnel
The number of lines to enter the Tunnel, one for each sex
2
The number of exits at the Tunnel, one public, one private
120
The estimated number of bottles of
Moet polished off every Sunday night
at the Tunnel
~ ' • : TP?! ' ' Pi
1,920
The approximate number of Camel cigarettes peddled per
night at the Tunnel
The number of crates of records that Fun kmaster Flex
brings to the Tunnel every Sunday
48
The average number of hours
required to clean the Tunnel
after a weekend of operation
OH BOY, MORE RESEARCH.
It's a tough job, but somebody has to do It.
Is it the fresh, choice hops from the Pacific
Northwest that make Miller Lite a great tasting
pilsner? Or is it the triple filtering and smooth pilsner
brewing? We could simply tafkiou it's both.
But that would spoil all the fun.
7"
THE GREAT TASTE OF A TRUE PILSNER BEER.
Copyrighted material
PLANET
IS THE TUNNEL THE
GREATEST HIP HOP CLUB
IN THE WHOLE WIDE
WORLD? MAYBE, BUT
NOWADAYS, PICK A
CONTINENT, PICK A
COUNTRY, PICK A CITY-
YUUU FIND FAR-RUNG
HOT SPOTS HAVE A
FLAVOR ALL THEIR OWN.
BYCRISTDiA VERAN
City. Mumbai [formerly known
as Bombay], India
Club: 1900s @ The Taj Mahal
Hotel
DJ:Akhtar
On the Sound System: Hip hop,
techno, Indian pop
Favorite U.S. Artists: Puff Daddy,
Pras, Run-D.M.C.
Crowd Scene: The rich-kids
hangout — filled with "Bolly-
wood" movie stars (Mumbai
boasts one of the world's largest
-film industries), Indian super-
models, and cricket players
Style: Cosmopolitan interna-
tional and Indian fashion
City: Accra, Ghana
Club: Glenn's .
D J : Magsy
On the Sound System: Hip hop,
reggae
Favorite U.S. Artists: Tupac,
DMX, Brandy
Crowd Scene: A minority of
teenage girls, a majority of
older men
Style: Baggy jeans, FUBU gear
Wnr- Havana, Cuba
Club: La Pampa
DJ: Adalbert* , •
On the Sound System: Hip hop,
reggae, soul
Favorite U.S. Artists: Lost Boy z ,
Mos Def, Lauryn Hill
Crowd Scene: Packed to
capacity with "La Gente de la
Mona" (Cuban hip hop fanatics)
Style: Bootlegged American gear
City: Auckland, New Zealand
Club: The Bass
DJs: Dmo & Adam
On the Sound System: New
Zealand rap, East Coast U.S.
rap, R&B
Favorite U.S. Artists: Anyone
East Coast, Snoop Dogg
Crowd Scene: The cool, non-
gangsta party crowd; Maori
(Native New Zealand tribe),
other Pacific Islanders, and
whites Style: Polynesia-inspired
"tapa" cloth patterns in earth-
tone prints, traditional Samoan
"taulima" armband tattoos
City: London, England
Club: The Granaries
DJs: Commander B, Jiggs
On the Sound System: Hip hop,
soul, reggae
Favorite U.S. Artists: Busta
Rhymes, Mase, Lauryn Hill
Crowd Scene: Multiculti: Black,
white, Indian
Style: Cosmopolitan couture:
Versace, Dolce & Gabbana
City: Amsterdam,
The Netherlands
Club: Sinners in Heaven
DJ: KnowHow
On the Sound System: Dutch hip
hop, "golden era" (1996-1989)
U.S. rap classics, R&B I J
Favorite U.S. Artists: Blaok Star,
No Limit Soldiers
Crowd Scene: Dutch, Black, &
Surinamese on a multiracial
unity vibe
Style: Low-key, non-jiggy —
Hilfig|r& Replay
City: Suva, Rji
Club: Traps
DJTThe Bartender
On the Sound System: Rap,
R&B, reggae, Hindi hip hop
Favorite U.S. Artists: Tupac, Will
Smith, Latifah
Crowd Scene: Fijian, Indian,
Rotuman, other Pacific
Islanders, & European — every-
one knows everyone
Style: Miniskirts and tight clothes
for girls, baggy jeans for guys'
City: Tokyo, Japan
Club: Harlem
DJs: Muro & Watarai >
On the Sound System: 99 per-
cent American hip hop
Favorite U.S. Artists: Lord
Finesse, Premier
Crowd Scene: Lots of girls,
B-boys in dance-f oor circles,
hardcore hip hoppers
Style: Writers Bencl^and Ele-
ments of Style gear
City: Turn on, Guam
Club:T%'s^^
DJs: Audio Delivery Crew
On the Sound System: Hip hop.
Top 40, and "cha-cha" fjocal-
style dance-pop]
Favorite U.S. Artists: DMX,
Master P, Lord fariq and Peter
Gunz
Crowd Scene: Suamese, U.S
military, Korean and Jap;
tourists, B-boys, and cha-cha
dancers
Style: Relaxed -style jeans. Lugz,
Dada T-shirts
oped other peace-keeping tactics.
Trenton Stewart worked Sunday-
night security at the club from 1991
through 1998. "Inside, you have your
typical street-comer dealers, gang mem-
bers, and chain-snatchers," he says.
"Maybe you catch someone with a razor.
We knew certain faces and [wouldn't] let
them in. And we'd approach certain peo-
ple early in the night and say, 'Look, if any-
thing goes down come to us first. ' We were
judge and jury, and people respected us."
Outside the club was another story. People would
rush the door, bruised egos would turn explosive, and
there was what many considered an overly aggressive
police presence. Accounts of violence-most notably
gunfire outside the club-are vague. The Tunnel
doesn't keep a log, reports to the police are few, and
the authorities won't speak in detail about their past
or present activities regarding the Tunnel. Robert
Cusick, a community-affairs officer for the NYPD's
10th Precinct (in which the club is located), says only,
"We continue to work with the Tunnel to provide a
safe environment for all concerned."
Gatien himself came under the police micro-
scope, and in May of 1996, he and 23 others were
indicted on drug conspiracy, racketeering, and dis-
tribution charges after a nearly two-year investiga-
tion by the DEA and the NYPD. Michael Alig, an
infamous Limelight and Tunnel party promoter-
and admitted cocaine and ecstasy dealer-had already
been convicted of murdering and dismembering
Angel Melendez, another dealer and Limelight
regular. Gatien's indictment focused almost com-
pletely on the Limelight and, notably, not at all on
the Tunnel's Sunday-night party. (Rosenblum, Lighty,
and Flex were questioned by authorities but nothing
more.) Gatien's bail was set at $1 million.
And there were other problems. Rosenblum's rela-
132 I I I I
tionship with several of Gatien's »op
staffers, including his wife, Alessandra,
had soured over personality conflicts.
Tension had also developed between
Flex and Rosenblum about money
(Flex thought he should make more
than his $90O-per-night paycheck) and
over who deserved the most props for
the success of the Sunday-night par-
ties. Still, the two came together for
one more Sunday during the Memorial Day week-
end of 1996. "I know the money we made the club that
night was the bail money that got Peter out ofjail," Rosen-
blum says. "I think lie had cash but couldn't show he had
it; he needed it to come from a night "(Gatien: "Absolute-
ly not true.") Over that summer, the indictments forced
the Tunnel to shut its doors. When the club reopened
nearly six months later, Gatien asked Flex, not Rosen-
blum, to be the new Sunday-night promoter.
"I felt like I'd started this thing that was great for
hip hop and was making everyone good money," says
Rosenblum. "And then they go and get Flex to replace
me?" She says she hasn't spoken to Gatien or any
members of his inner circle since. For his part, Flex
says the decision to accept Gatien's offer was not an
easy one. "I felt loyalty to Jessica, but I wasn't happy
with my money situation," he says. "But I came
around to wanting to do it-for me, and because I felt
the night was important for hip hop."
Rosenblum eventually agreed. "Even though I was
hurt I was still his manager, and I didn't want
another DJ in there," she says. Today the two are
friends, and Rosenblum continues to manage Flex
on certain projects. "It was really just typical shit, the
artist bitching about the manager and vice versa," says
Flex. "We're cool now." Lighty ended his affiliation
with the club along with Rosenblum in what he says
was a show of solidarity.
When Flex took the helm, he made changes. He
dropped the name "Mecca" ("out of respect for
Jessica") and brought in live performances. Soon, every
big name in hip hop— including Jermaine Dupri, Da
Brat, Jay-Z, the Fugees, Timbaland, Juvenile, Lauryn
Hill, Too Short, Foxy, and Busta-was gracing a small
moveable stage at the far end of the dance floor. Flex
also reduced the official cover charge to $20. "I
wanted to bring more young people through and have
them be able to afford to see the artists play live," he says.
In February 1998, Gatien was acquitted of all
charges after a trial that lasted a little more than four
weeks. But this past January, he and his wife
pleaded guilty to state-tax-evasion charges; at press
time, he had been sentenced to serve 90 days in jail
and five years probation (Alessandra got five years
probation and 300 hours of community service). The
couple will also pay close to $2 million in back taxes
and fines. Still, the Limelight recently reopened, and
Gatien remains committed to the Tunnel's hip hop
party, now called "Funkmaster Flex Sundays." "Noth-
ing feels quite like Sundays," he says.
Go to the club now and you'll find a chorus of
people who will tell you how much better it was back
in the day, that post-Mecca Sundays have become
"too ghetto." But just as many rhapsodize about the
party's current incarnation. What's unequivocal,
though, are recent, memorable nights, like the
Sunday after Biggie died. "I played 'Hypnotize'" says
Flex, "and there were, like, 2,000 people crying,
totally silent. I was crying."
Despite the Tunnel's sometimes troubled history,
it was-and still is-the seat of hip hop during a time
when the culture changed the world. "I look at it
kinda as if the Tunnel is an artist," says Hex. "Say, like
Biggie. Will there ever be another Biggie? No. Will
there be artists who have the same kind of effect as
Biggie? Maybe. That's like the Tunnel. Will there be
another club that has the same kind of effect? Maybe.
Will there be another Tunnel?" He pauses. "No." □
Copyrighted material.
ESS
11:00 P.M., ANT SUNDAY NIGHT
last winter: In full view of traffic along Manhattan's
West Side Highway, more than 200 people wait in
line for the Tunnel experience. On one side of the
building, ladies perch stone-faced on stilettos and
platforms, oblivious to the driving sleet. The array of
light and dark skin, straight doobie hairdos and curls,
glittery eyelids and lips, spandexed hips and tits hud-
dled under umbrellas is enough to slow the late-mod-
el luxury cars in search of parking to an awed creep.
But the honeys are all business: "They got TVs in
there?" wonder two black girls about a white bubble
Lexus with Delaware plates. (Yes, they've got four
TVs.) And on the other side of the building, a
raucous all-male line of mostly twentysomethings
clamor to catch a glimpse of their willing prey climb-
ing the stairs to the entrance. But the fellas will have
to wait: At the Tunnel, it's ladies first.
Once you're in the door, the next stage of the night
begins. "Step through the metal detector, take off
your shoes, unzip your jacket,
open your bags, hold out your •. . .
arms, spit out your gum, open
your mouth, and lift up your
tongue." And while fly guys and
girls in full-length minks grum-
ble and suck their teeth as they
get patted down, one look at a
bowl of confiscated razors '
silences most gripes. The own-
ers of contraband are quiedy
asked to leave, as is a disap-
pointed female whose expec-
tant tummy reveals that she
came to party for two. But
there are no status require- ■
ments or a dress code at the >'
Tunnel. Twenty dollars
later, you hand your ticket
to a doorperson and
finally enter the belly of
the beast.
12:00 a.m.: It may be
1 degree outside, but as
the crowd peels off
layers of leather and
goose down, the scene
unfolds like 1,000 hot-
house flowers in full
bloom. The revelers
are primarily black
and Latino, with a
small but proud con-
tingency of white
kids rocking the 1
same hairdos (finger I
waves, fades, Shirley '
Temple curls, and
Caesars) as their p
black homies, plus f •
a smattering of f '
inquisitive Japan- r
ese hip hoppers. !?
They come from J '.
New York's five
boroughs, New
Jersey, Connecticut
beyond. Nine-to-fivers, young mothers, students
party girls, and drug dealers all get pressed body-to-
body, sharing the same air, which isthickwith smoke
(both weed and Newport), sweat, and designer per-
fume. The main room's decor is industrial heavy
metal: exposed pipes and wires, stage lighting, mas-
sive speakers, and suspended disco-tech glitter balls.
All 3,200 of the Tunnel's cohabitants compete for
attention: "It's all about me," they seem to say in uni-
son. On the dark dance floor, colorful whirlpools of
partyers jiggle and grind to the sounds of DJ Funkmas-
ter Flex and his bandpicked turntable squad, the Big
Dawg Pitbulls. "All my independent ladies with real
hair, let me hearyou!" Flex commands. "All my nig-
gas with the big dicks, where you at?!"
Between swigs of Cristal, Flex transforms wax into
electricity from his elevated booth. "To rock the Tun-
nel, you just can't play it like any other club," he says.
"It's all about the 2,000-plus people in that room,
who are some of the most aggressive, most hip peo-
ple on the planet. They make the trend," he says.
"They've seen artists like Jay-Z, Busta, DMX, and
Biggie grow from being that nigga in the club with
them to being on the stage to
' • .. . being on
AT HE
2*
IS
MTV and beyond. So you
better come with something
incredible at the Tunnel. If they
like it, you're guaranteed a street
hit, if not an all-out commercial
hit. The Tunnel does not lie."
1:45 a.m.: Flex moves back into the mix. "Dreams
of fuckin' an R&B bitch...," intones B.I.G., and the
entire crowd sings along. A dozen camouflage-clad
Brooklyn bad boys are like bulls in a glass shop,
knocking aside everything in their path. On the oth-
er side of the floor, a menacing group ofHarlem sons,
in blood red bandannas, Cardinals caps, and red
Snoopy sweaters make their presence known. Small-
er crews of girls navigate the club in the same way-
like a plowing parade of elephants, trunk to tail, hand
to shoulder, in their Moschino jeans and sheer
tanks, with glittery gel slathered on their shoul-
ders. These temptresses have hard
tattoos on their softest places, from Chinese
tigers to huge rest-in-peaces. " You don 'tget
nada. . .from us" they sing along to "Cheap-
skate" by the Sporty Thievz.
To preserve your sanity at the Tunnel, you've got
to steel your nerves. Men, restrain yourselves from
jumping at every drunk fool who shoves past you.
Ladies, make yourselves numb to those hands
coppin' rough handfuls of every ass and breast that
scurries by. "No, he didn'tV
Yes, he did. You feel sorry for
that pretty light-skinned girl in
the sparkly red tube dress with
a red flower behind her ear,
who's navigating the narrow
"valley of death" that lines both
sides of the Tunnel's center-
piece bar. Shorty's ample
feminine fat is more than these
guys can resist, as they hand
her body off man-to-man like
a sticky pinball. And in the
fever pitch of a Tunnel banger
like Puffy's "It's All About the
Benjamins," the valley is noto-
riously the place where pass-
ing girls get tossed up in the air
like confetti.
If you make it through the
main-floor obstacle course, a
short flight of stairs brings you
into the Tunnel's notorious
coed bathroom. Speakers
pump "Pull It," by Cam'ron
and DMX while thirsty boys
and girls size each other up around a bar that stands
right next to a row of slimy stalls. And inevitably,
some of those stalls hold more than one body inside.
For ladies, all the power lies in the curves Mama
gave them. For fellas, it's about the flash of cash.
TUNNEL OF LOVE: Sunday-night regular
Kay gets royal treatment
Young men actually seem overwhelmed by their
fancy clothes— $300 Coogi sweaters and Iceberg car-
toon suits-as they pour some of the contents of $85
bottles of Moet on the floor to show respect. A $300
bottle of Cristal makes a most effective accessory.
Hey, it's survival of the flyest at the Tunnel. One baby
shark by the DJ booth nudges a Fendi-dipped female
twice his weight and whips out a knot of papers to
entice the gold digger in her. Then she realizes that
it's a wad of food stamps he's flaunting. But she'll
remember him, and that's all that counts. At the
Tunnel, everybody can be a star.
"No matter where I go, people always come up to
mc, 'Yo, you be in the Tunnel, right? I remember
"J m^|^Q
™ 'iL ^
sees.
"EST JIBE*
i. i ji r -,r_ ?
tflffl i J?-
4 i- j
I!
TOD ARE HERE
What's the secret to Sundaq-nioht success?
Location, location, location.
Here's a keg to prime Tunnel real estate.
27TH STREET
136 V I ■ ■
Copyrighted material
Liza was looking for a meaningful relationship, based on mutual
support and understanding - in the meantime, Jim would do.
V.I.P
MEMORIES
.(VERY IMPORTANT PARTY)
Almost anyone who's ever set foot in a club has a story.
By Kenya N. Byrd and Shaheem Reid
"The Odyssey [in Los Angeles) was a freak
show. It had new-wave hippies and wannabe
rappers. My mind was blown. People were
doing drugs and having sex. I was 1 7 or 1 8. on
the sidelines watching. It wasn't about danc-
ing, as I'd expected. I thought, "This is too much
for me. I'm an amateur. You people are the club
Olympics." —Phil UMnn-, MAD TV
"I was at The Triangles in Miami. All of a sud-
den, some chick came up behind me and I
turned around. She said. 'I see you around
campus and I just wanted to introduce
mysetf. My name is Dany.' I went back
to my dorm room and called her. We
stayed on the phone all night, and
two years later we were married."
— Dwayno Johnson, a.k.a. "The
Rock," World Wrestling Federa-
tion champ
"Big Daddy Kane was at The Latin
Quarter [in 1988). He had this song
about girls on their period. Biz [Markle]
would beatbox, and when Kane got to the
part about the girl's menstrual cycle he
would throw a tampon in the crowd."
—Toddy Tedd, member of the
Awesome 2
V
"I was 15 or 16 and went to the Red
Zone pn New York City]. You couldn't
get in unless you were 21 , but my
partners hooked me up. I drank a
couple of 40s. Women were coming
up to me, but they didn't know I was
so young. There was a lot of love and
a lot of girls." — Mokhl Phifer, nctor
"When I did Annie (on Broadway),
Studio 54 [in New York City] sent invites to
the cast members. We were between the
ages of 8 and 12. Some of us went once. I'm
not sure why our parents allowed it. I always
thought that was a little weird."
— Sarah Jessica Parker, actor
'*>< . "\
I remember when Prince used to own the
Glamslam in downtown Los Angeles. This was
94. Tupac got into it with King T because Pac had
a red rag on his head and T snatched that
muthafucker off. Back then, it wasn't no
East Coast/West Coast feud; niggas from
the West was more or less riding on
each other. Everybody had posses of
25 to 30 niggas, so both of their
cliques jumped in and then every-
body walked off. Tupac was crazy
than a muthafucker — I'm surprised
he didn't whip King T's ass."
— Snoop Dogg, rappor
" I was at The Fever [intheBronxin the
early '90s] using the phone, and the
music stopped. I stuck my head out and I
saw 500 people running towards me. I
jumped on top of the phone [booth].
People were getting trampled. I saw
this 5-foot Puerto Rican nigga run-
ning up with a Uzi. That was
scary." — Big Pun, MC
"In 1 983, the Roxy in New York City was the
Rolls-Royce of hip hop clubs: blacks, whites,
Asians [united]. All kinds of professionals-
doctors, lawyers — were hanging outthere. Madon-
na and Mick Jagger would be up in there. Afri-
ka Islam and Afrika Bambaataa were usual-
ly spinning."— Chuck Chlllout, DJ
"You need to ask muthafuckers who
hung out with me, 'What's the wildest
thing you saw Luke do in a club?' I had
sex with a girl in Miami's Pink Pussy Cat
Club about a year ago. I told her to come
to the club with a skirt and no panties. Every-
body was looking. I always wanted to do that."
— Luther "Luke" Campbell, MC
"In 1 977 at New York City's Audubon Ball-
room. Grandmaster Flash coheadlined
with Lovebug Starksi and Cool DJ AJ. It
was the first time MCs did story rhymes in
their regular voices, the call-and-response
DJ (Kid Creole), and the echo chamber.
Grandmaster Flash introduced back-spin-
ning. I ran home and told my mother every
detail. I tried to conjure the same feeling she
had about church because it was the
same energy I had for Grandmaster Flash:
Praise Grandmaster Flash!"
— Kool Moe Doc, MC
"A friend and I went to Limelight [in
Atlanta] about 1 0 years ago, and
there were people walking around
with dog chains, being led around
with dog chains, and [wearing] spiked
underwear — right among the suit-and-
tie people. My friend said, 'I'm ready to
go because these are some different
kind of freaks. We old freaks, but these
are different freaks. "'
— Peabo Bryson, singer
"Two years ago, me and my cousin was
pissy drunk in Philly's club Gotham. We
got rolled on by eight bitches. We was
on the ground, and I was like, 'Oh. shit!
We're getting fucked up right now.' And
we got kicked out. They didn't. We was
pissed off!" — Charll Baltimore, rapper
"The year was '92 or '93 on a Sunday night
at DV8 in San Francisco, but we called our
party The Jungle. We got acts like Cypress
Hill, X Clan, Red Alert, Kris Kross. Nice &
Smooth, and Jermaine Dupri. That night
was the perfect vibe. B-boys were break-
ing, and the phattest groups performed
for free, out of love for hip hop. I haven't
experienced that vibe ever again."
— Sway (with King Tech on backup), DJ
From top to bottom:
Phil LaMarr, Sarah Jessica Parker,
Mekhi Phifer, Chart! Baltimore,
Luther Campbell
you,'" says Chekasa,
Kay for short. On any
given Sunday, you'll
find the 24-year-old
Bed-Stuy native post-
ed up against the wall
near the DJ booth, on the
"Brooklyn side" of the bar. With her
wavy black hair, flawless caramel complexion, and
infectious smile, it's no wonder that when guys over-
look Kay at her waist-high perch or trip over her
wheelchair, they often apologize by kissing her hand
and then asking for her number. Kay's chair has been
tipped over and even thrown up in the air, but she
says, "I never feel scared. This is my spot, I know
what to expect."
The way the Tunnel crowns its royalty is by blur-
ring the line between the regular people and the
stars. In the past, the Tunnel's ghetto celebs have
shared their space with everyone trom regulars like
Busta Rhymes and Allen Iverson to surprise visi-
tors like the late Eazy-Eand actor John Leguizamo.
ONE BABY SHARK
BY THE DJ BOOTH NDDGES A
FENDI-DIPPED FEMALE
AND WHIPS OUT A
KNOT OF PAPERS
TO ENTICE THE GOLD DIGGER
IN HER. THEN SHE REALIZES
HE'S FLAUNTING
A WAD OF FOOD STAMPS.
BUT SHE'LL REMEMBER
HIM, AND THAT'S
ALL THAT COUNTS.
Legend even has it that when she's in New York,
Janet Jackson dons a disguise and hits the Tunnel
to stay in touch with the streets.
You can also get the star treatment with the valet
parking outside, a soul-food catering service in the
back, and a coat check near the front door. In the cor-
ner of the main room, there's a photo area where
Cisco, the photographer, takes $5 snapshots of two
very pleased bailers who are posing suggestively with
their new acquaintances, a pair of thick, feather-clad
vixens, in front of an airbrushed Mercedes. And then
there are alleged services. One Tunnel-goer claims
that for a discreet $20, an insider offers to store your
coat up in the DJ booth. Other regulars claim that a
hefty tip can get you past the line outside and even
the intense security check. "I've seen niggas who even
paid to bring guns in the Tunnel," says one regular.
138 v 1 ■ a
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digitally dubs your music so it sounds just like
the way you first heard it. Plus, unlike record-
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the Sony MmiDisc is re-recordable up to a
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LORDS OF THE DANCE FLOOR
Great club DJs sit only as high as the songs they spin. By Noah Callahan-Bever
DJKOOLHERC D J JESSE DE LA PENA
The father of hip hop Club DJ, Chicago
"My B-boy jam was alwaysjames Brown's 1967 'Give It Up or Turn It Aloose,' 'cause
it was the perfect up-tempo. And of course, my slow joint was the Delfonics' 'I Gave
It to You,' [1970] . I would always close with Gladys Knight's 1968 'Time to Go Now,'
for obvious reasons."
DJ RED ALERT
WQHT-Hot 97 and club D J, N.Y.C.
"I'm best known for my mix ofBiggie's 'One More Chance/One More Chance (remix),'
[1995] . People know that I'm the DJ whenever they hear that particular mix. Right now,
my final song is Chico DeBarge's 'No Guarantees,' [1997). It cools people out."
DJ KID CAPRI
Mix-tape king
"To close on the Puff Daddy and the Family tour I used Jay-Z's 'Hard Knock Life,'
[1998], 'cause I hooked Jay up with [Mark] the 45 King. Nowadays, I like to pro-
mote my album, [Soundtrack to the Streets, 1998], at the end of the night."
D J STRETCH ARMSTRONG
WQHT-Hot 97 D J, NIC.
"I always play 'Ain't No Fun' by Snoop Doggy Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound, [1993].
It works every time."
D J LONNIE D
WSOJ 100.3 and club DJ, Richmond, Va.
"Anything by Master P makes people go crazy. That's it. You can't DJ a party
down here without doing a No Limit set. A lot of times I close with Rell's
'Love for Free (featuringJay-Z),' [1998]. It keeps them from getting
too rowdy at the end of the night."
"I'm starting to play 'Get Involved' by Raphael Saadiq and Q;Tip, [1999J, because
it's unique and people are feeling it. 'Quiet Storm' by Mobb Deep, [ 1999), also works.
I usually close with 'I Miss You' by Bjork, [1995], the down-tempo remix. I kinda broke
that song in Chicago. It's cool for hip hop kids to be dancing to Bjork."
Beat Junkies/Dilated Peoples, Los Angeles
"I usually play 'Ego Trippin" by the Ultramagnetic MC's, [1987], because the beat
is dope and it's from that golden era of hip hop. It will always be a DJ favorite. |The
song I close on] always depends on the crowd, but sometimes I throw on Akinyele's
'Put It in Your Mouth,' [1996], 'cause people are about to leave the
club and go do their thing. That
GET YA' DRINK ON: There goes 95 bucks
"But that was back in the days.
Nowadays, they hide razors in the
soles of their boots. But those metal
detectors aren't even on anyway." All
of the above is strictly prohibited by
Flex and the club's management, and
the club's head of security says the
detectors are operating. The Tunnel has
the most aggressive search procedure this
side of Riker's Island. But when the close
quarters, rowdy sounds, overactive egos,
and Alize take effect, fights are bound to break out.
At one point, the dance floor seems consumed by
a virus of brawls. Flex turns the lights on the crowd.
"Okay, I've had it!" he rails. "If anyone grabs a female's
ass, security will fuck him up. If you start a fight? Secu-
rity will fuck you up." Clad in black hoodies and
bursting black T-shirts, the Tunnel's multicultural
security force, with their buzzing walkie-talkies and
body armor, are far scarier than the club's thugs.
When one ruffneck ignores Flex's warning, he is
escorted-no, more like dribbled-out the door.
3:10 a.m.: Flex throws on the oper-
atic intra to Nas's "Hate Me Now." The
hammering beat rushes in, and the
entire Tunnel erupts into frenzied
leaps, partyers swing from the
rafters and exposed pipes, painted
birds bounce atop muscled shoul-
ders, and champagne showers the
crowd. Flex turns to an awestruck
record exec and screams, "I ain't
never gonna stop fuckin' with the Tunnel! This
is me!" The capacity crowd seems to scream in
agreement.
4:30 a.m.: Trickling out into the still-frigid air-
ears ringing, sweat setting-many folks are wobbling
home only to change clothes for the Monday work-
day. As they make their way to cars and cabs, color-
ful posters and flyers (at the exit, along the highway,
everywhere) alert tonight's Tunnel survivors of next
Sunday's party. And you can barely wait those six
short days until you can come back for more. □
..' rrpvrttnf h Andttv GiBmgh loib Lotb. Ttknpita ! ..V.v.: '•■ mJ Saw Wooit
vine
77^
_J 1 i 1 ;
Some people like to drink other beer.
Some people also like to dance the polka.
Heineken
tell Simmons'
.999 Ford- Explorer and other
great prizes. Look for sweepstakes details whereyer Heineken is sold.
In honor of Black M
Oneworld Music Bed
Enjoy Heineken Responsibly
www.heineken.com
«1999 Heineken USA. Inc.. While Plains. NY
It's all about the beer.
Copyrighted material
SCIENCE FICTION,
EIGHTBALL SHQlli9«r. »
I don't let just anybody work on my hair,"
says Marlon "MJG" Goodwin. He's 50
percent of the Memphis-reared rap evan-
gelists Eightball and MJG, and he's sitting
through a Saturday afternoon braid job in
Houston's Magical Hands Salon. His tweezer-
like fingers pick through the bountiful cat-
fish-and-hush puppies platter on his lap.
The shop's co-owners, Terry Gabriel and
Katie Mitchell, are two of the three people
in Houston he lets touch his head. Glenn
Stonum, currendy digging deep into MJG's
scalp, is the third.
"There are some things you should never
change," says MJG, whose deliberately
laconic flow suggests a personal motor per-
manently set on cruise. "You don't change
mechanics, doctors, or beauticians ('Man,
I'm gonna mess your head up if you don't
hold still,' Stonum interjects). If you go to a
strange doctor, they might give you some-
thing that will shrink your shit up." MJG half
smiles and takes another bite of fish. He's
still holding the sandwich through a short
post-new-'do dash through traffic to his crib.
The hulking engine of his black 1996 Impala
loudly puns as he blasts some of his not-yet-
released sonic chronic.
Once inside his two-story fortress-and
after a blunt to chase away that last bit of
yum-yum-MJG's ready to converse again.
His focus has shifted from hair to his
newborn-/n Our Lifetime (Suave House/
Universal), the long-awaited reunion of him
and longtime partner Premro "Eightball"
Smith. "You have In Our Lifetime from two
niggas," says Eightball weeks later, over the
phone, of the LP's title, which may remind
some ofJay-Z's 1997 multiplatinum spinner
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (Roc-A-Fella/Defjam).
"Then there's In My Lifetime from one nigga.
The only people that should have a problem
with it is them motherfuckers hatin', tryin'
to start some shit." Then again, there's jazz
cat Dave Douglas's In Our Lifetime (1995),
Marvin Gaye's In Our Lifetime (1981), and
Neil Diamond's In My Lifetime (1996). His-
tory truly repeats itself.
"We felt it was best not to change [our
sound] too much," says MJG of Lifetime.
"You can make mistakes if you jump out
there too fast. I'm not about to be the one
who goes out there and has [other artists]
come behind me, like, 'Oh, we see how you
fucked up, let us leam from you."
Microphone fiends fear not: The fellas
haven't taken a step backward. If anything,
the album is an even more refined take on
their distinct, space-age-pimp style; the first
single, "Don't Flex," features a sci-fi funk
hook courtesy of Organized Noize's Mr. DJ.
And the tune's swaggering, strip-joint lyrics
("I wanna see you touch your toes in that
dress, baby / Bounce up and down like we're
havin' sex, baby") prove that the duo are just
as 'hood raw as ever.
You can't blame Ball and G for not want-
ing to change too much. Together, and apart,
they've sold more than a couple of trunk-
loads of records (which has led Suave House
to major-label partnerships). Coming Out
Hard (1993) and 1994's On the Outside Look-
ingln (both on indie Suave) made Eightball
and MJG big dawgs in the vast kennel of
post-Geto Boys southern harshcore. Those
two discs combined moved more than a half
million units, and 1995's On Topoftbe World
(Suave House/Relativity) went gold. Then
there are the solo works: MJG's live-
instrument-powered No More Glory (Suave
House/Universal, 1997) rode to gold status
on the back of the hit single "That Girl" and
a hot-to-trot video that featured Clueless star
Stacey Dash. Eightball's doubje-platinum
triple disc, Lost (Suave House/Universal,
1998), was a stellar feast of thick beats and
high-profile guest stars- such as Busta
Rhymes, Master P, and Goodie MOb.
Ball and G's narrative-style hip hop
booms out of a post-Civil Rights black
South. Busing, crack, preachers, and, just as
in the past, horrific hate crimes. For example,
MJG says the image of the burning Con-
federate flag on his solo LP's cover was
specifically directed at all the "racist bullshit
that happens down here. Like in Jasper,
[Tex.]— dragging [James Byrd] to death. The
tide, No More Glory, was about that— there'll
be no more glory for people who are still
living in the past, doing that kind of shit."
I think niggas from the South can feel more
I like themselves," says Eightball, halfway
I through a game of pool at the Suave
House studios. In the spirit of keeping
things "country," Suave House Records
CEO/grand pooh-bah Tony Draper-who
discovered the pair at a music showcase at
Memphis's 380 Club in 1991-relocated from
Memphis to Houston back in 1992, leaving
New York and Los Angeles to the old-money
school. "They don't have to talk or act
proper. Back when we first started, wasn't
nobody coming out on stage with no perms
or curls. None of that country shit was cool
back then." In Eightball's mind, being
"country" means being true to self, deter-
mined, fearless, uninhibited.
"When somebody does something crazy
or offbeat, you might say, 'Man, you coun-
try,"' continues Eightball, who recently
embarked on a hospital "vacation" because
of a collapsed lung. (This, of course, delayed
the completion of In Our Lifetime. He
wouldn't comment on the situation.) "There
are country niggas from New York, country
niggas from all over." These buck-wild, free-
spirited consumers are the people Ball and
G are counting on to support their crusade
into the next millennium. As Ball turns back
to his pool game, you can imagine that, deep
inside his massive 300-something-pound
frame, there's a little country-ass nigga laugh-
ing his ass off.
Yep, Eightball is a rather large gentleman.
As he sits down to a Sunday soul-food lunch
of chicken, greens, and a double serving of
Pepsi, his colossal frame conjures up sweaty
BYTONY GREEN
gridiron visions of grandeur. Someone on a plane once took him for Tampa Bay Bucca-
neers defensive tackle Warren Sapp; the fool followed him all the way oft the access ramp.
"1 played a little football when I was a kid," Ball says. "Everyday when I came home from
school, we used to play on a big-ass yard. It would be the little niggas against the big niggas.
We always had the spectacular plays, but the big niggas would catch up to us and bust our
ass." For a long while, southern rap was like the "little niggas"-kinda fresh every once in a
while, but not on par with the boys on the West and Northeast coasts. "Now," says Ball,
"that little nigga done got big."
can you spare
adime?Eightball
f rhyme for free.
Eightball and MJG first hooked up while doing a bid in Memphis's Melrose High School
marching band (both playas played the trumpet). They caught the rap bug from a friend of
Ball's who'd spent a lot of time in New York: "He'd visit his mama and come back with a
bunch of mix tapes and stuffhe got off the radio," Eightball says. Folks like L.L., Whodini,
and Run-D.M.C. were the voices that inspired Eightball and MJG to want to become MCs
when they grew up. Look at them now: big bailers with fat careers.
"Over time we've made a pretty good mark," says MJG of the duo's run. "We never had
any No. l singles or anything that stayed No. I for weeks and weeks, but we're still recog-
nized for what we've done. When it comes to southern rap, I think we've got a piece in the
puzzle." This puzzle has a rich, spirited history indeed.
Outside of New Orleans, Nashville, and the Mississippi Delta, no place in the South has
Memphis's musical pedigree. You can go all the way back to the city's long-standing
gospel tradition-with more churches per capita than any city in America-through B.B.
King's urban blues, all the way up through the southern soul heyday of Stax and Hi Records.
Suave's chief producer, Tristan "T-Mix" Jones, is also from Memphis, which explains the lush
keyboard chords, creamy bass lines, and soulful vocal washes that are the label's hallmark.
"See, most of the time, people are influenced by their mom's music," says Jones, who
honed his chops playing keyboards for an old-school "copy band" called Mirage. "Pop
was more into hustling. And she was missing him when he left. That's why the music mom
was playing was all that smooth soul music, songs that were about being in love and
missing somebody."
In a way, it's all the blues, which you can't really understand unless you first understand
a few other things. The blues' heirs in the '60s and '70s were Bobby "Blue" Bland, Little
Milton, and Z.Z. Hill, and the music's continued popularity in the black South has filtered
down to people like Ball and MJG, who grew up in female-headed, B.B. King and Al
Green-filled households. There's no mystery-blues people survive. That's why hip hop
reigns supreme these days. Eightball, MJG, and the dirty South will continue to rise, lead,
and shine-buming crosses and torn bodies aside. □
FATBO> SLIM BOY
V I B 6 gives props to this
century's most dynamic big
man/skinny man duos
Jefferson Davis "Boss" Hogg
(Sorrell Booke) and Rosco P.
Coltrane (James Best) (777e Dukes of
Hazzard, CBS, 1979-1985)
These two are the original down-south hustlers.
Hogg with his cigar and sideburns, forever
« rockin' the all-white three-piece suit and that
I matching Cadillac to boot. On the flip side, the
I Boss's slimmer, squad-car-drivin' cappo,
Rosco P. Coltrane, handled his biz for real. From extortion to blackmail
to pulling out stainless-steel gats, MC Rosco P. did his thing when it
was time to lock Hazzard County down. They were peeps through thick
and thin, through high-speed car chase after high-speed car chase.
They had Bo (John Schneider) and Luke Duke (Tom Wopat) shook for
sure. What!? What!?
Freddie "Rerun" Stubbs (Fred
Berry) and Roger "Raj" Thomas
(Ernest Thomas) (What's Happening!!,
ABC, 1976-1979)
Rerun was the hip hop-representing, pop- lock-
ing overweight lover, while his childhood friend
Raj was the rail-thin, cool-ass nerd with the
£ high-pitched laugh and dope-ass lense-less
I Cazal frames. Odd couple or not, we loved
I watching these two chase girls, scheme on their
parents, and play the dozens with soda-shop operator Shirley (Shirley
Hemphill) and Raj's bugged-out little sister, Dee (Danielle Spencer).
And don't forget Dwayne (Haywood Nelson Jr.): Hey hey hey!
3H Joliet Jake (John Belushi) and
Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) (The Blues
Brothers, Universal, 1980)
Let's be real here: Eminem and Jon B should
L ' really get on their knees and thank husky man
»jt > ^^^^ f Jake and his gaunt brother, Elwood, for they
jft i ■ made it possible for white guys to receive hon-
l| I £ orary ghetto passes. These brothas hung out
BUM » with Cab Calloway, danced with James Brown,
ducked five-o like champs, and were one of the first to wear loc'd-out
shades. Besides, you've gotta show love to the two thugs who were
baaad enough to look cool while whipping around in a busted, second-
hand police car. Sunglasses couldn't fade their blue-eyed soul, l-ight!?
The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher
Wallace) and Puff
Daddy (Sean Combs)
j These hip hop superheroes were the ultimate
I ■ dynamic duo. The everlasting Biggie was the
I invincible MC whose lyrics hypnotized throngs
I of listeners. B.I.G.'s hyperkinetic energies
11 ST < enabled him to launch his spirit from under-
■^■^^W^B^e^B 2 ground mix tapes to the top of the Billboard
charts in a single bound. Meanwhile, his partner, Puffy, has the power
of clone: He can pop up on MTV, BET, and your favorite radio station
simultaneously, all the while riding hard for the B.I.G. man via his con-
stant musical tributes. When B.I.G. rhymed "Poppa and Puff / Close
like Starsky and Hutch" (on 1 997's "Hypnotize"), he wasn't kidding. It's
all good, bay-ba bay-bay! Shaheem Reid
Cop
Courage isn't just about finishing,
it's about believing in yourself
enough to begin.
Prepare for college and beyond in the U.S. Navy. You can earn up to $40,000
for college through the Navy College Fund and the Montgomery G.I. I'ill. Yon
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LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN.
f
I
THE FUTURE..
Jermaine Dupri
Jagged Edge
inDj
Instructions" Coming Boon Da Brat
June 32. 1333 Trina Sroussard
July 1333 FI.D.C
Sow Wow October 1393
July 1333
June 0. 1993
September 1993
.. www sosodef net
W
w
|LINIRDII,Z2
LIVES FDR | TRIBE
CRLLEffaUEST.
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HNff THBT'5
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15 ABOUT." HE
5HY5. "VE
CET ffD W
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board shorts by NSU.
Face & Body: Sunblock by Coppertone in SPF 30;
hair color by L 'OREAL Feria for Men in Cherry Cola
Previous page, from left: White cotton tank top and
blue nylon board shorts, both by NSU: sneakers by
Vans; backpack by Oakley, surfboard by Pat Raw-
son; sunglasses by Oakley: black cotton baste
crewneck T-shirt by Calvin Klein Underwear; blue
nylon shorts by Volcom: boots by Timberfand; sun-
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cream, green, and blue floral cotton and rayon button-down
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shorts with baby blue and white floral border by NSU; blue and
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catch-in' rays
People's faces come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, so picking a pair of sunglasses is a personal thing.
Everyone wants a distinctive attitude and look, so shouldn't your shades suit your steelo? Luckily, there are tons of
styles. Here's some eye protection to get you ready for the summer. SEE THE DETAILS Kadi Agueros
We told you about designers starting their
own record labels. Now — like a real hip hop
battle — rappers are striking back and
designing their own sportswear lines. This
fall, Jay-Z will introduce Roc-A-Wear. DMX
will represent the Ruff Ryders line, and
Shaquille O'Neal will revive his TWIsM (The
World Is Mine) collection.... Levi's is at it
again. This time they're sponsoring The
Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Tour (along
with Emporio Armani Fragrances) .... Here
comes the sun — and it's about time! Sum-
mer is one of the most fun seasons: cool
clothes, new music, and fun. fun. fun. If you
wanna have the hottest summer, check out
these trends and give them your own twist.
All you fast-talkin', wannabe-rhymin' cats
need to put your money where your mouth is
and pick up some "conversational" shirts —
the Chinese-dragon motifs from PNB
Nation (with matching hat). Mecca USA.
and Nautica Marine Denim are blazin'. For
the boriquas: Yo, papi, you should keep it
real in a fresh, traditional Latin guayabera
shirt — see Willie Esco. Pelle Pelle, and
Exsto. Ladies with some attitude should
take their cues from hip hop honeys T-Boz
of TLC and rapper Charli Baltimore and
add a fruity strawberry hue to your hair —
Fudge for Hair by Paint Box in Raspberry
Beret or L'OREAL's Feria in Cherry Cola (it
even comes in a man's version) will get the
job done. Take these hints, and have a wet
and wild summer! EmilWilbekin
sneak-peek
, Air Terreo by Nike, $65
Who: For folks who stay flossy, even
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When: Playing Frisbee with your peeps,
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Where: Call 800-344-NIKE for store
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Giriget Goes; lip gloss by NARS In
Tiffany; hair moisturizer by Ktehl's
Shine 'n' Lite Groom; fragrance,
Tommy Girl by Tommy Hllliger; white
bikini with green trim by Tommy HII-
ftger; violet cashmere hoodie by f^.L.
by Jeffrey Grubb; white carpenter 1 ^^
by Tommy Jeans. SEE THE DE
I
8
7
Subject: Britney Spears, 17,
Sagittarius, actress /singer
Work: At age 10, Spears began
her career in the Off-Broadway
play Ruthless, based on the
1956 film The Bad Seed. Then
she got into commercials and
landed a spot on the Disney
Channel's Mickey Mouse Club.
In 1997 , she was signed to Jive
and released her double-
platinum album, . . .Baby One
More Time. She'll be appearing
on The WB's Dawson's Creek
this fall.
Idols I "I look up to Whitney
Houston as a singer, Jennifer
Aniston and Jennifer Love
Hewitt for their style, and
Lauryn Hill as an all-around
artist. "
Daily Routine: Spears does
at least 50 sit-ups a day. "I
never overeat, " says the teen.
"I do eat what I want, but it's
done in moderation. "
Secrete: "In New York, I get
this zit cream from Dermato-
logica that's really good."
The star uses a soft soap like
Ivory to cleanse her face,
then moisturizes with a lotion
by Bath & Body Works . "For my
makeup I prefer shu uemura
foundation. All About Eve eye-
shadow and blush, both by
NARS, tons of M. A. C lipsticks,
and on special occasions I
apply glitter on my face and
upper body . ■
Biggest Disaster: "lhada
photo shoot and wanted to
color my hair and have it
highlighted blondish. I guess
the hairdresser got confused
because he put red streaks and
then put a color on top of
that, which turned it orange, "
she says. "I tried to hold it
in but I started crying . "
Must -Haves: "I have to have
mascara." Specifically, Le
Grand Curl by L' OREAL, she
says, and clear lip gloss by
The Body Shop .
Transformers: Hair and make-
up by Christopher Lockhart.
Katina Lee
Cop'
1 **& J
Beautiful
cams With A Salon Stylist.
MOTIONS AT HOME MAINTENANCE PRODUCTS
MAY BE PURCHASED FROM SALONS OR BEAUTY SUPPLY STORES.
OMMGM MB80265-J1
Copyrighted material
with juia
n to rial
hen Will Smith won "Best Rap Solo
Performance" at the 1999 Grammys,
did you catch who was sitting
behind him, giving him a congratulatory
pat on the back? It was George Lucas, cre-
ator of both the $1.8 billion- grossing Star
Wars trilogy and its fanatically anticipated
prequel, Star Wars: Episode l-Tbt Phantom
Menace (Lucasfilms), due out May 19.
Lucas's brotherly nod was an apropos one.
During the last 20 years, few movements
in popular culture have generated the fol-
lowing, frenzy, or funds of either the Star
Wars franchise or hip hop.
Released Wednesday, May 25, 1977,
Star Wars thoroughly revolutionized the
business of filmmaking by, among other
things, catapulting both F/X and movie
merchandising into multibillion-dollar
industries. Of course, hip hop has been no
slouch either. Riding onto the cultural land-
scape just a few short years before Lucas's
triumphant juggernaut, hip hop trans-
legions of die-hard fans were disgusted by
Lucas's force-feeding of furry little Ewoks
to his audience. Hardcore viewers were
formed everything it touched-turning
Iowa farm boys from long-haired rockers
in tight jeans into Kangol-rocking would-
be B-boys.
Twenty-plus years ago, Star Wars, like
hip hop, was expected to die a quick
death. Dale Pollock's Skywalking: ThcLift
and Films of George Lucas (Samuel French
Trade, 1990), widely considered the defin-
itive account of the auteur's rise to promi-
nence, details the travails of an insecure
wunderkind little supported by studio
executives. According to Pollock, at a
screening for the 20th Century Fox board
of directors shortly before the film was
released, many of the higher-ups fell
asleep. Many who stayed awake hated the
movie. This surely played a part in the
film opening in a paltry 32 theaters
nationwide.
Similarly, few who recall hip hop's
beginnings have forgotten the predictions
that the next ycarwould be rap music's last.
Given their humble births, who would
have thought that Star Wars and hip hop
would eventually clench the globe with a
titanium grip?
But cultural omnipotence has not
been without its price. In the last install-
ment of Star Wars, Return of the Jcdi(i<)&5),
equally repulsed when the digitally en-
hanced Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition
was released theatrically in 1997. To them,
messing with the original masterpiece was
like doing a pop remix of a grimy under-
ground hit. These moves smacked of
crassness and wanton greed, as though by
grabbing for cheddar Lucas was turning
his art into cheese.
Of course, the feeling ofbeing deserted
by one's cultural heroes as they lunge wildly
for cash is hardly new to hip hop heads.
With rappers trading Lee jeans and Buick
Electra 225s for Versace suits and $345,000
Bentleys, fans have watched artists desert
hip hop's fetid Bronx roots for platinum-
plated jigginess.
For the second year in a row, sales for
rap records will again easily top $1 billion.
At the same time, most industry experts
predict that the $115 million The Phantom
Menace will break box-office records. All
this culture in the name of commerce forces
the question. Is it possible to sell big with-
out selling out?
For Smith and Lucas, this query is par-
ticularly relevant. If there is one thing
these men share, besides seating at the
Grammys, it's the criticism that their
ambition has been the ruin of their re-
spective arts.
Will Smith's music-from the poppy
"Parents Just Don't Understand" (Jive,
1987) to the insipid "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It"
(Columbia, 1997)— has been widely criti-
cized as emblematic of what goes wrong
when hip hop goes mainstream. It gets too
cuddly and likeable, the hip hop faithful
complain. Indeed, it wouldn't take much
to imagine Smith's happy face on the tufted
head of an Ewolc
As for Star Wars, part of its legacy is that
it changed Hollywood's recipe for how to
make a hit movie. The trilogy's record-
breaking S5.8 billion gross (including
merchandising) led to a "blockbuster"
mentality and doomed the viewing public
to a 20-year downward spiral of F/X-rid-
den, plot-compromised spectacles. In all
of the worst ways, a bloodline runs
between Return oflhejedi (Lucasfilms, 1983)
and Con Air (Buena Vista, 1997).
which sells millions-from Hammer's "U
Can't Touch This" (Capitol, 1990) to
Puffy's "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down"
(Bad Boy, 1997)— is typically the music they
most abhor. These songs often lack the
musical, lyrical, and vocal innovations that
hip hop aficionados most crave. Which
brings us back to the Grammys.
That starry February night, Will took
home a gold gramophone in the Best Rap
Solo Performance category for "Gettin'
Jiggy Wit It," and quadruple-platinum-
selling Jay-Z won Best Rap Album for
Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (Roc-A-Fella,
1998). The glitter of all that gold might lead
one to think that successful hip hop music
equals albums full of club hits, when in fact
hip hop has always worked most power-
fully when it ripped the script. For
example, this is exacdy what Lauryn Hill
i ran mi vm vm um m mm
mm
Despite predictions that MenacevrAX be
the highest-grossing motion picture in his-
tory, with this film Lucas has decided not
to pander to the widest possible audience.
Advance word on the prequel is
that there won't be an Ewok in
sight. Instead, for two hours and
10 minutes, followers will thrill
to the exploits of dashing Jedis
(Liam Neeson and Ewan Mc-
Gregor) locked in battle with a
hellified, doubled-bladed, light-
sabred villain named Darth
Maul (played by martial-arts
expert Ray Park). It's this kind of
sharply drawn conflict that
tractor-beamed millions into
theaters back in 1977.
For hip hop, however, the advance
word is not so clear. Last year marked the
genre's best-selling year ever. Yet for many
of the culture's hardcore fans, the music
did on her emotionally naked The Mis-
education of Lauryn Hill (Ruffhouse/
Columbia, 1998), which earned her five
Grammy awards. Hill didn't rely <
readily duplicablc formula like the much-
hated playas or reach for the easy sentiment
Lucas did with his Ewoks. Instead, she did
what great artists have always done-told a
compelling story beautifully and made us
feel it deep in our guts.
Maybe the lesson to be learned on the
eve of The Phantom Menace's release is that
it is possible for an artist to make enormous
amounts of money yet remain true to his
or her craft. Hill's success suggests that it's
time hip hop moved away from an
unchecked celebration of materialism
toward a more nuanced examination of the
human condition.
What ultimately grabs you about The
Phantom Menace is that it's the story of a
battle to save the soul of a young child, not
a frolic with furry forest dwellers. Maybe
it's time hip hop went after its own Ewoks
with light sabres blazing. □
The human body has over
45 miles of nerves.
Enjoy the ride.
Set yourself free. In a new Durex condom.
Feel what you've been missing. With the most exciting condoms ever made.
New Durex condoms for ultimate sensitivity. Now safe sex doesn't have
to feel that way. Free sample at www.durex.com.
THE BIG PICTURE
Here's a look at the other hot shots brave enough to share
a cineplex with Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
By Gary Dauphin
1 999'S SECOND MUST-SEE SUMMER
AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME
(NEW LINE CINEMA)
Mike Myers, star and scribe of 1 997's megahit Austin Powers:
International Man of Mystery, re-dons the tight, pinstriped mod
pants for another trip to the far-out era of free love. This go-round,
Austin follows his arch nemesis back to the '60s, where Dr. Evil
(played again by Mr. Yeah, Baby himself) tries to permanently
shrink our shagadelic hero's love mojo. (Austin's superpowers
are located in his briefs, after all.) Boogie Nights' Heather
Graham steps into Elizabeth Hurley's role as the boot-wear-
ing love interest, while Myers continues his homage to Pink
Panther Peter Sellers by playing four characters in this flick.
Powers could become a franchise — if it survives the Phan-
X torn Menace juggernaut and the perils of its inaugural suc-
cess. (The first film was a $1 7 million spring sleeper that
raked in $54 million, whereas Shagged has a $30 million
budget and all the trappings of a mainline summer
release.) Still, the original Austin was the funniest movie
of 1 997. Come June 1 1 , even a total retread should be pretty groovy.
MOVIE
APRIL30
gyn7TTTW7W!ffTHynT
MAY 7
MAY 14
#
A at burglars Sean Connery and The Mask
If ofZorro's Catherine Zeta-Jones plot a
monster heist in Y2K Malaysia in this high-
toch- thievery meets -wry -odd -couple ro-
mance. This pairing of a nubile starlet and
a man old enough to be her grandfather
works only because Connery is the coolest
man alive. Regardless, let's hope for
everyone's sake that Double-O-Seventy
keeps his pants on.
THE MUMMY (UNIVERSAL)
All-American boy Brendan Fraser goes
Indiana Jones in this resurrection of the
1 932 classic. Mummy '99 promises to mate
upbeat Spielbergian adventure with a
creepier supernatural undertone a la Sam
Raimi sArmy of Darkness (Universal, 1 993).
Expect protests from Afrocentric academi-
cians angered by Caucasian-looking
ancient Egyptians and an evil wrapped one
named Imhotep (raised fist optional).
TRIPPIN' (ROGUE)
Booty Call meets
United Negro
College Fund com-
mercial in this low-
budget high school
comedy about the
misadventures of
Greg "G" Reed
(Deon Richmond),
an upstanding but
distracted kid day-
dreaming his way through high school. Our
prediction? Trtpp/n'will mix teen hormon-
al high jinks with positive sermonizing (stay
in school, don't do drugs). The younger set
should get a rise out of watching their
peers act the horny fool.
BESIEGED (FINE LINE FEATURES)
Once again, Thandie Newton (Beloved,
Ul998) — our favorite hyper-talented
indie morsel — finds herself playing a
slave/domestic love object. In Besieged,
she's an African-immigrant maid who
rarely speaks a
word to her
Italian boss but
ends up work-
ing overtime in
massah's fan-
tasies and his
boudoir. The
power dynamics are borderline disturb-
ing — just enough to peak our interest in
Besieged, the only must-see art-house
pick of the season.
MAY 2l
JUNE 18
JUNE 18
JUNE 25
THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR (SONY) | SOUTH PARK: BIGOER, LONGER AND I TARZAN (WALT DISNEY)
UNCUT (PARAMOUNT)
■I ollywood's
n
I virtual-reality
elevator stops on
The Thirteenth
Floor, a darts
thriller about a
flesh-and-blood
programmer (the
little-known Craig Bierko) accused of mur-
der who jacks into his VR creation to clear
his name. Poor should pull in the hardcore
cyberpunk heads, but given the wide audi-
ence swath cut by The Matrix (Warner
Bros.), Thirteenth could turn out to be an
unlucky number.
In the big-screen blowup of Comedy
■ Central's animated hit, Colorado 'toon
stars Stan, Kenny, Kyle, and Cartman get
sent to boot camp
by the vengeful
hand puppet, Mr.
Hat. We have just
one question for
South Park cre-
ators Trey Parker
and Matt Stone
and their potty-
mouthed juveniles: How many times can
Kenny die in 90 minutes?
Disney's African invasion (The Lion King
franchise, the Wild Kingdom theme
park) continues with this darkly drawn but
reportedly hyper-PC animated epic.
Tarzan should have little trouble hawking
drink cups in every
burger joint in the
land. But don't be
surprised if the
Mouse House gets
trampled by South
Park fans who'd
rather see the Lord
of the Jungle kiss
Cartman '5 fat ass.
BIG DADDY (COLUMBIA/SONY)
■ dam Sandler — the king
ftof the surprise block-
buster (1 998's The Water-
boy and The Wedding
Singer) — smirks his way
into multiplexes as a los-
er lawyer who adopts a
6-year-old to prove he's
not commitment-phobic.
1
This should be one of this spring's dumber
movies. (In one scene he teaches the kid
proper wall-pissing technique.) But since
every season needs a stupid sleeper, San-
dler will likely be laughing past groaning
critics all the way to the bank.
168 » i m a
Copyrighted material
Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide.
Copyrighted material
vibequickie • vibequickie • vibequickie • vibequickie • vibequickie
jokE|R|s|W||>.|di
Comedic royals Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer riff on Ray Charles, white girls, family feuds,
and the hotness of Foxy "Tootsie Roll" Brown. By Gabrielle L. Gabrielle
I t's tough being on top. Just ask Steve
I Harvey, star of The WB's The Steve
I Harvey Show, emcee of the syndicated
It's Showtime at the Apollo, and a featured
comic on the hugely successful Kings of
Comedy 1999 tour-which is expected to
rake in almost $20 million in funny money.
It's bad enough that you lose your privacy,
fans hound you on your off" time, and dis-
tant cousins hit you up for loot. To top it
off, after asold-outshowatClevelandState
University Convocation Center, you get
stalked by a VIBE reporter camping outside
your dressing room.
When a beleaguered Harvey finally let
us in, we were surprised to find him still
trading riffs with his pal Cedric the Enter-
tainer. Not wanting to impose on the put-
upon star, we just turned on the recorder
and let the longtime friends roll.
Cedric: Haveyou ever fucked anyone up, Steve?
Steve: I've thought about it. Several
times today, in fact. Most of them are my
damn family members. I just wanted to haul
ofT and jack-slap the shit out of my sister.
And I'd like to bitch-slap all my cousins and
nephews. They fuckin' beg all the time:
"Auntie need a hip operation, think you
could pay for it, Steve?" "I just got a new
house, but I need you to make the down
payment." I'm not the home-loan company!
What I really hate is when people say, "I
know you got it." You're damned right I got
it! And I'm gonna keep it!
Okay, then. Since VIBE is in tbehouse, I think
we should talk a little about the hip hop world.
I think Foxy Brown is absolutely deli-
cious. She reminds me of a Tootsie Roll in
pumps.
And what about Lil' Kim ?
Lil' Kim? See, I thought that was the
same person [laughs] . Lil' Kim is the type of
person that when you're with your mother
you say, "That's disgusting!" But when
you're with your boys you say, "Boy, oh boy!
That would be me and her and mostly me."
llovebiphop. BustaRhymesbasaveryorig-
inalstyle. That'swbatlloveaboulhim.Andwhen
you meetbim, be 's down to earth, real cool people.
Yeah, I've become more of a hip hop fan
the more I meet the artists and rap with them
about their philosophies instead of just
assuming-which is wrong— that ifl hear some
crazy gangsta rap on TV, that [all rappers] are
just blurting out obscenities with no sub-
stance or depth. When you sit these guys
down, like Puff or Snoop, you think, Hey,
these brothers right here have it together.
1 definitely trip qffhow hip hop has grown, how
everyone is talkingahout it everywhere. In comedy,
we don V stand on our issues like they do, do we?
I try to stand on some issues, but if
there's a laugh involved, I'll go with the flow.
What about the handicapped ?You ever talk
about handicapped people?
I've done a couple of handicapped
things, and it didn't work out in my favor.
I had a show in Boston once. I told a great
joke about being blind, and little did I know
the Cambridge School for the Blind had
been invited. I just went on and on about
being blind. Nothing was happening out
there, and I didn't know why.
And then out of nowhere Ray Charles stepped
up and slapped the shit out of you. But first some-
one had to tell him when he had the right guy
[laughter]. Speaking of being Mind, haveyou
ever been with a white woman ?
I have no personal experience to relate
to you on that issue for the sake of my career,
which you just tossed into shambles with
that question. I'm gonna have every black
woman hiding in the bushes waiting on me.
I'll tell you one thing, though [motions
toward a big-breasted white girl in the room], I
wouldn't have no problem with that [barks
like a dog] ! So, Ced, what's the hardest part
about being famous?
When you 're in public withy our daughter or
your mother, or you 're trying to have a private
family moment and someone comes up and says,
"Oh, hi, howya doin '? How 's Steve doin '?"
Some people can be so intrusive. Tech-
nically, we only owe you what you pay for.
We owe you a great show when you pay for
a ticket. When you turn on your TV, we owe
you 22 minutes of the funniest stuff that we
can put on. Out in public, we really don't
owe you anything. □
PHOTOGRAPHED BY SARAH A. FRIEDI
IRCH 13, 1999, CLEVELAND, OHIO
VIII 171
4:00
p.m.
Your client is
so impressed
with IntelliGolf
(by Karri er Commu-
nications, $79.95 with
special golf -cart mount),
which keeps track of your
stats, that he doesn't even
notice you're letting him win.
tech
FIVE
A day in the
life of the
new Palm V
The new Palm V doesn't just
store contacts, it scores them.
At four ounces and half the thick-
ness of the Palm III and Palm lllx
models, the $449 super-sleek son of the
Palm Pilot (from 3Com) will get more
looks than the next man's Rolex. Use the
stylus to jot down the names of your new
fans (up to 6,000!), then share the data with
your PC. Hundreds of available software titles
and funky accessories make the Palm V the only
gadget you'll need all day, whether you're getting
business — or getting busy. Dave Katz
7:00 a.m.
You're awakened by Palm's built-in alarm and
see a flashing reminder that it's your little sister's
birthday (Birthdate by Fahl, $1 9.95). But you
have a plane to catch. So record a memo to call her
using your attachable voice recorder ( JetTalker by
DynaFirm, $169).
8:00 a.m.
Traffic is thick, so connect your Palm to Earth mate, a
mini Global Positioning System (GPS)
receiver from OeLorme (S149) that
draws you a shortcut on its preloaded
road maps.
10:00 a.m.
You're about to board the plane when your Palm
(Synapse Pager Card, $1 69, PageMart Wireless)
receives an alphanumeric message from your boss:
MEETING WTTH PAMS CUENT MOVED TO BEVERLY HILLS GOLF
course, alert others. Make the change on Palm's
calendar, then plug your Palm Modem ($1 29) into your
cell phone to e-mail the good news to the rest of the
group. E-mail Lil" Sis too!
11:00 a.m.
Other passengers on the plane watch You've Got
Mail; you read yours, then play some Palm
f games. After an hour of "Froggy" ($10,
www.pilotfan.com/froggy), check out last
^^^^ night's basketball highlights with InfoRover
Select software ($29.95), then settle into one of
the specially formatted novels you downloaded off
the Web.
3:00 p.m.
Jet-lagged, you arrive at the golf course to
discover that the only thing worse than your
client's slice are your French skills, so use
Concept Kitchen's Small Talk translation pro-
gram (available for Spanish, French, German,
Japanese, or Italian, $79.99) to help along the
conversation.
client lets ~
6:00 p.m.
To celebrate his victory, your
you take hi m to his favorite steak house,
so strap your Palm onto your wrtst with
the Peel-lt wearable PDA case, and
you're off (S49.95. Orang-
Otang). If DietLog can't
keep your appetite
in check, Excer-
Log will get you
back at the gym
tomorrow ($89
for bundle, Soft-
Care).
8:00 p.m.
As expected, the bill
is as heavy as the food.
Instead of playing credit-
card roulette, use your
pocket Quicken software
($39.95, Land Ware) to figure
out which card isn't maxed out.
9:00 p.m.
You head downtown to your client's
w favorite nightspot, where they serve [
more than drinks. Log all your expenses —
including those lap dances — using Wallet Ware's
ExpensePlus software ($69). After all, it/s business!
10:00 p.m.
Your client tells you he has to go to another
"meeting," but needs your number. Too drunk
to lift a pen, you infrared-transfer your business
card into his Palm V.
12:00 a.m.
Tammy Knockers, one of the
fine "entertainers" leads you
back to your hotel. Congrats!
It looks like you might finally be
able to give your Palm a rest.
GRAB A HANDFUL:
(From top): These dual-action styii twist to reveal ballpoint
pens— Palm V Dual Action Stylus (standing), $39.95; Cross
Duo, $35. The Palm V is here (top center)! Pilotgcar H.Q.
Stylus, S14.95. Protect your Palms with these high-tech
cases (at left, from top): Palm V Hard Case, S39.95;
RhinoSkin Titanium Hardcase, $99.95; Palm V Execu-
tive Cover Pack, $24.95.
For more Palm goodies, check out Tap Magazint at
www.tapmagazine.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE
PRODUCTS YOU SEE HERE, SEE
THE DETAILS.
Cop;
i ate rial
lech
CYBERMH
You're on your way to spin at the hottest club in town with
all your precious wax in the trunk. Then you get carjacked.
Two stinking gunmen jump in the front seat and punch
the accelerator. You've escaped with your life, but you've lost
the gig, the records, and the thnll to spin.
Most club DJs play for free. They really get paid to trans-
port their fragile, often irreplaceable vinyl albums. And what
arc you supposed to do when your only copy of "Super
Sperm" gets scratched? Such concerns motivated former graf
legend Colin Turner and seasoned reggae selector Anthony
"Yonnie" Wright to create SpinStation (wunthspinstation.com),
a revolutionary computer program that eliminates most of
the hazards faced by professional DJs. Combining MP3
sound-file compression with jam-tested design, the Spin-
Station is more than the ultimate digital crate. It's also loaded
with DJ's-little-helper features that Yonnie says will "make
an average DJ good and a good DJ amazing."
When it's time for a gig, your turntables and records stay
home while you carry a DJ mixer and any high-powered
IBM-compatible computer. All your wax is saved as CD-
quality MP3 files on the computer's hard drive-sorted by
artist, style, beats per minute or anything else you want. You
can match two songs' BPMs at the touch of a button, or add
in backspins and scratches. Now, this device is not for every-
body. You wouldn't challenge the Invisible Scratch Picklz
to a spin-ofT, but for the average club DJ, just having your
crates organized and scratch-free is worth the S399 software
(pre-built systems available for up to $4,500).
But can it rock a party? While Yonnie tested SpinStation
at Brooklyn's Club Callaloo, the crowd couldn't tell his
cybermix from the vinyl method-unless they saw the eerie
glow of his computer monitor. "People didn't even know
the difference," he says with a laugh. "You can play five
seconds of a song and then, boom 1 . You're on to the next
without a slip, with nothing to put back in its sleeve."
"I don't think SpinStation opens the market up to
suckers," says Turner. "Software will never know the true art
of the DJ, which is how to feel out the crowd and build a
vibe. That is what separates the pros from the wannabes."
That and not losing your records. RobKcnner
Last night a DJ saved my lit
broken. ..record? DJs Col
create the turntable for
t
IOLLAATME!
Keepin' up with keepin' in touch
Nokia 282, $99-51 49
"It's a Captain K/rfc-StarTrek communicator!" Errr... No.
"It's a makeup compact!" Nope, not quite.
All your friends will be playing guessing games when they peep the
clamshell case and the five hi-tech colors of the new Nokia 282
mobile phone. It's even better-looking than the similarly sized
Motorola StarTAC, but the tiny 282 offers more than just good looks.
Using the easy-to-read screen, you can store up to 75 names and
numbers and assign different rings to 1 2 predefined incoming callers
so you know whether it's your old boo or that new one calling. The
282's analog service may seem tired to your digitally enabled Enter-
prise shipmates, but you'll get the last laugh with superior service
and the flyest phone in the galaxy. Mark Brooks
Coc
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Cup
"I spent a lot of time with my dad. Follow-
ing him around the yard while he planted
tomatoes or pruned roses. And I loved going
for rides in his General Motors car. Sometimes
we'd go fishing. We always took the long way
around. And we'd talk. He taught me that
sometimes the road to my happiness wouldn't
have a lot of signs marking the way. But to
trust myself and I'd always know which road
to take. I've counted on his words for courage
over the years. And, like Dad, I always count on
my GM car to take me wherever 1 want to go."
never t» afraid
to take the road less traveled.**
General Motors. Cars and trucks you can count
on, for all the roads you travel.
iTX m&tiorr
H General Motors.
www.gm.com
CHEVROLET • PONTIAC • OLDSMOBILE • BUICK • CADILLAC • CMC
Copyrighted material
REV
LUTIONS
SUCK RICK
'THE ART OF
STORYTELLING'
DEE JAM
BY KRIS EX
"Since I came outta jai
seems the whole planet
gone bananas, "Slick Rick
observes on "Street Talkin',"
from The Art of Storytelling,
his first real long-player
since creating what is,
without question, one of the
finest hip hop albums of
all time, 1988 s The Great
Adventures of Slick Rick
(Def Jam).
Two subsequent LPs, 1 991 s The
Ruler 's Back and '94 s Behind Bars,
were piecemealed by his record label
while the patch-eyed kid was on the
other side of the wall.
A cursory glance at recent world
events affirms Rick's position: Here in
the States, the President is impeached
by a bunch of hatas who wasn't get-
ting none: back in the rhymer's native
England, the Prince Chamiing/damsel-
in-distress fantasy is shattered when
Princess Di doesn't live happily ever
after and, to add insult to injury, Lennox
Lewis. Britain's Great Locked Hope,
gets shafted out of the undisputed
heavyweight title in front of a world TV audience. Yet on his new album, Rick
remains unflappable. Like Jake Blues or that pimp in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka
(You do remember how the god hit the streets rocking those fierce-ass fish-tank
platforms, don't you?), the Ruler steps back into the game determined to make the
reigning players gather round and genuflect before him.
And they do. A veritable royal court of hip hop luminaries — Q-Tip, Wyclef , DJ
Rev Run, Snoop Dogg, Nas, OutKast, Raekwon, Canibus — drop by to shower the
Slickster with pledges of allegiance. But don't take their word for it. Take Rick's
own. Same as ever, he's never reluctant to engage in a healthy bit of vainglorious
self-appraisal. A Jay-Z and Zsa Zsa Gabor love child couldn't chum out more self-
aggrandizing witticisms. A thousand feedlots of cattle couldn't pop as much shit.
"It's kinda outlandish / Rastas even say 'A what kinda fine young mon dis?'"
quips Rick on "Fresh," featuring Jermaine Dupri. Over the ethereal wails and
stunted piano chords of the Trackmasters-produced "Me & Nas Bring It to You
RICK REMAINS A KANGOLED HEAD AND ICED
DOWN NECK ABOVE THE COMPETITION BY
FOLLOWING THE FIRST ROLE OF FICTION 101:
SHOW, DON'T TELL.
Hardest," he goes on, "Homosexuals smirk / Conversin' / Say 'That nigga fox is
working, girlfriend." Billionaire white chicks, construction workers, aliens,
corpses, the sun, chandeliers — to hear Rick tell it, they're all in awe of him. "I Own
America" finds Mama Nature herself deferring to his greatness: "Rain find ways
not to fall on my head-top."
He strays from this theme to ill effect on "Kill Niggaz," a rash of tongue-in-
cheek murders on wax, which sounds as if it was done just to prove a point. Yes,
his wordplay is top-notch, but Rick's a lover, not a fighter — the song feels like
Britney Spears doing Lil' Kim. Meanwhile, "Adults Only" graphically details Rick's
preference for anal sex. With lines like, "Still in the pussy/Then acted like it slipped
out / She said, / 'Pardon the puddle' / Spread open her cheeks / Pushed hard in her
butthole / Wasn't a bad date at all," it's a testament to Rick's comedic skills and
likeability that such scenarios amuse rather than repulse.
The charming "Who Rotten 'Em" comes across as a virtual stage play. Thes-
pian Rick portrays an ancient Egyptian slave who must impress the pharaoh or be
sent to the lions: "Motherfucker got some nerve, said, / 'Bring slave forward, let
me observe' / He asked me my name and started badgering me / 'Ricky, what?' /
'Ricky, Your Majesty' / And bowed because I had to / 'Kick a rap / That shit better
sound phat, too.'" It's here that the art of storytelling is fully revealed — Rick remains
a Kangoled head and iced-down neck above the competition by following the first
rule of Fiction 1 01 : Show, don't tell.
Thoroughly entertaining throughout, Rick spins unique couplets, melds vocal
inflections, and breaks those nasal vocals into song. He's backed by a collection
of sparse bass drums, abundant snares, and long stabs of deep rhythm provided by
folks like Large Professor (!), Clark Kent, Kid Capri, SSS , Rashad Smith, and Dame
Grease — many of whom abandon their signature sounds in reverence of the Ruler's
style. The result? Party numbers that bounce like the participants in a San Francisco
car chase. Melodic jams that pull you into a smooth, easy bob. (Wise choices
considering that Rick's core fan base is around the three-decade age mark.)
"You old-ass rapper!" screams a heckler who can't grasp the appeal of the
Ruler's exquisite haberdashery and truck finery on "I Run This." While a tailor-
made track throbs behind him like a preorgasmic clit. Rick stays unf azed, lounging
comfortably on his throne: "You got it / But can he still / Sever? / Other words rap
more clever / Like no other younger rapper walking could ever?"
Yes, he can. So y'all microwave macks and overnight hacks best to hide ya'
hoes. This time around, the Ruler really is back — rocking gold, furs, and Wallys,
pushing a Rolls Royce in these days of platinum, leathers, 'gators, and Bentleys.
But fuck, the nigga ain't just old-school, he's a classic. Kiss his feet and be gone
from his presence, you peons.
CHANTE MOORE
THIS MOMENT IS MINE'
MCA
Way back in 1992, Chante Moore turned
speaker cones to mush with her debut, Precious,
which was lustrous and lusty in all the right
places and established the heavy-lidded diva
as a force to be reckoned with. In 1995, she
made a so-so second album, A Love Supreme,
and has occasionally been the prettier part-
ner in duets with crooners such as Boyz II Men
and Keith Washington. This Moment Is Mineis
Moore's first album in four years, and the delay
between projects has many wondering, What
up with that? Whatever the reason, it's good
to have her back where she belongs.
Unlike R&B's paper-doll Lolitas, Moore
isn't afraid to act her age. She's aware of the
thin line that separates sexy from trashy, and
that self-confidence is what gives Moore her edge as a vocalist. Instead of
performing melodramatic calisthenics, Moore lets her throaty, understated
phrasing glide over the album's gentle grooves-half of which were produced
by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis— and lets the rest take care of itself. This song-
bird prefers subtlety to brashness. Even when she boasts on the first single
that "Chante's Got a Man," it's only to provide encouragement for single women
who are trying to get their groove back. Here's hoping Moore's album title
proves prophetic. Marc Weingarlen
CLIFF JONES KHYTHM S PRAISE'
■UVXGMMfflUWTK
From the Staple Singers' down-home celebrations to Al Green's sump-
tuous-but-conflicted songs of praise, R&B and gospel have forever been
linked. Together they seem to tell every man's existential tale. With
r^\.[} J j his debut, Rhythm & Praise, Cliff Jones gives a nod to both
traditions with full-on '90s flavor, compliments of pro-
<" ducers such as Fanatic, Night Flight, and Trackmasters.
The27-year-old Washington, D.C., native boldly goes
where few have gone before when it comes to craftily mar-
rying genres. He takes the Isley Brothers' 1 975 classic "For
the Love of You" and builds it into a tower of power with "Living All Because
of You." His skills are also notable on "One More Chance," Jones's idea
of what his late friend the Notorious B.I.G.'s message to God would be if
he were alive. Additionally, his
powerful vocals on soothing
songs like "Call on Me" might
spark deserved comparisons to
the great Bobby Womack.
Jones might have grown up
on the Lord's music. And, true,
for a minute he may have for-
saken the church for the
streets. Whatever. It's all good.
He's back, steeping "the mes-
sage" in hip hop and soul.
Jones's songs are worthy not
only of praise but also heavy
airplay. Martine Bury
00
Copyi
BPRIT€ e
□ -0-E4- 1 V d l_l R THIRST
C 1999 The Coca-Cola Company "Spnie" and "Obey Your Thirst" are registered trademarks o! The Coca-Cola Company
)f7
WORD?
PRODUCERS SPOTLIGHT: THESE YOUNG TRACKMASTERS MAY NOT RE HOUSEHOLD NAMES YET, RUT TRUST
THEIR HOT BEATS WILL RE BLOWING FROM YOUR SPEAKERS REFORE 1 999 ENDS.
TIM AND BOB: You know you're good when one of the best
producers in m usic is asking you for tracks. That's exactly what happened
to Atlanta-based production team Tim and Bob when the one and only
Dr. Dre called. The collaboration between Tim Kelley and Bob Robin-
son, who produced Jon B's 1997 platinum single, "They Don't Know,"
and Dre, one of the founding fathers of gangsta rap, resulted in two brash
songs for Dre's upcoming sophomore compilation, The Chronic 2000 (After-
math/lnterscope). "Hey You" is a rolling stampede of piano chords and bass
kicks; on another pop-chart chaser, "Malibu Dre," the Doctor drops lines
like
/ It ain't a classic, it's a cliche." Tim and Bob have
quietly accumulated a discography that includes everyone from Boyz II Men
and Monica to 112, and fans can anticipate even more from them this year.
Both producers are songwriters and instrumentalists who developed their
skills in Detroit with other future stars like Tony Rich and Bad Boy Hit-
man Mario Winans before relocating to Atlanta to
work with superproducer Dallas Austin. Now this
laid-back duo is working with Mista, Tamar Braxton
(Toni's sister), Dave Hollister, Mr. Dalvin (formerly
of Jodeci), and Joe, who Tim and Bob have already
laced with ballads like "I'm Missing You" and the
aptly titled "Beautiful." They have also recently
signed a multimillion-dollar publishing deal with
DreamWorks and have a roster of their own acts
including songstress Shawn Riley and singing girl
group About Face. But even with all this success, Tim
and Bob remain refreshingly down-to-earth, which
is apparent in their special brand
of crowd-pleasing R&B.
MALIK PENDLETON:
Before Malik Pendleton ever
graces the radio with his whisky-
smooth voice, you will have
already swung, sweated, and
maybe even sexed to his music.
How can that be? Well, even
though this self-proclaimed "Bad
Ass Little Kid" from Linden, N.J.,
is dropping his debut album entitled Look
Around (Atlantic) this summer, he's already
made his name as a producer whose soul-
ful tracks have blessed the likes of 702,
SWV, Zhane, and Changing Faces. And
then came the turning point: "I wanted to
submit some songs to Mary J. Blige for her
Share My World(MCA, 1997) album, but I
kept getting the runaround," says Pendle-
ton. "When I finally got to the studio to
meet her and saw producers like Herb Mid-
dleton and Kenny Greene, I didn't think I
had a chance." But when he found himself face to face with the Queen of Hip
Hop Soul, instead of playing a tape Pendleton sat down at the piano and put it
on her, performing the future Mary J. classic "Seven Days." Now the diva and
Pendleton, a 28-year-old thug-gentleman, are best friends and have joined forces
for three tracks on Mary's as-yet-untitled new album (although they haven't
been officially selected), due this summer on MCA. Music fans will catch flash-
backs of jam-packed house parties and afro picks when they hear Mary wail "It's
not ovah, between you and me!" on Pendleton's remake of First Voice's 1977
disco classic "Let No Man Put Asunder." And that kind of old soul flows through-
out his own album with heart-wrenching tracks like "You Remind Me," which
is so striking it had Michael Jackson begging to record it! Pendleton manages to
create new soul music without coming offas sounding "alternative" or contrived.
So it's no wonder the legendary Diana Ross is
demanding this renaissance man's magic touch.
THE NEPTUNES: You remember when
Noreaga's "SuperThug* supernova played for
the first time in 1998? It was like nothing you'd
ever heard before, like a musical gumbo with
chunks of Louisiana bounce, Queens street rock,
and a twist of Middle Eastern snake charm. "But
what killed it," says the Neptunes' Pharrell
Williams, "was when I sung that little hook,
'This is the life of a superstar / The Neptune
and Noreaga the limit is the skyyyy.'"
Williams, along with his partner, Chad Hugo,
produced Nore's breakthrough hit. And he's
right, it was "SuperThug"'s adrenaline beat
that really set it off for the Virginia Beach, Va.,
duo. The Neptunes, who started out produc-
ing completely contrary but equally moving
material such as SWV's 1996 "Use Your
Heart" and Blackstreet's 1994 "Tonight's the
Night" are extremely diverse in their talents.
They're currendy readying albums from their
male rap duo the Clipse (Elektra), whose first
single, "The Funeral," is already tearing up mix
shows, and for their female funk/pop/sou]
vocalist Kelis (Virgin), who is everything
Scary Spice wishes she could be. But
Williams and Hugo aren't finished
redefining hip hop for the new millen-
nium, as they take Ol' Dirty Bastard to
new heights of operatic insanity on tracks
like "I Got Your Money" and "Cold
Blooded." They also bring in the Cherry
Poppin' Daddies for a Beenie Man swing
song called "Ola" and even give alterna-
tive heroine Bjork some extra flavor. The
Neptunes are crossing all boundaries and
genres-all the way to the bank.
ibo v 1 b a
This season the look
is lace, and designer
Byron Lars shows
US Why! Sexy, playful
and easy to wear,
lace goes with almost
anything, Mce Byron's
white cotton twist
front shirt pictured
here. Accessories by
Misha McGlown.
Hair by African Pride.
ancient Am essential
ri „ qse s have trie
sooner* needed
^age. repair spends
nd handling to
African Pride
aterial
JA RULE 'VENNI, VETT1, VECCT mm
It's nearly impossible for an MC to steal the show while guest-starring
on a Jay-Z song, but when Ja Rule's strident vocals come in at the
end of Jigga's bouncy "Can I Get A..." (Roc-A-Fella, 1998), you have
to shake your ass just a little bit
harder. That's exactly why the title of
Ja's bellicose debut, Venni, Vetti,
Vecci — Latin for "I came, I saw, I
conquered" — makes so much
sense. He intends to do just that.
The first single, "Holla, Holla," is
a sweltering call-and-response
track that picks up where "Can I Get
A..." left off. Then Ja reunites with
his Murder Inc. cohorts Jay-Z and
DMX for the sequel to their 1998
killer cut, "Murdergram," with the j
equally homicidal "It's Murda." This
cut not only bangs, but it leaves
bloodthirsty fans dying for the release of Murder Inc.'s upcoming album.
Ja gives a galvanized thug pledge of allegiance on the ferocious "Nigguz
Theme," on which record-exec extraordinaire Irv Gotti adds an
N.W.A-inspired hook ("It's plain to see / You can't see me / 'Cause I'mma
beaniggaforlife").
Unfortunately, the rest of Venni, Vetti, Vecci is hampered by colorless pro-
duction. "Let's Ride" is a schlock attempt at capturing the ATL-bounce vibe,
while the beat for "Only Begotten Son" sounds like recycled elevator music.
Ja is definitely a superstar in the making, but he desperately needs
tighter tracks to complement his MC skills. Only then can Ja fulfill his own
prophecy and start to rule hip hop for real. Shaheem Reid
1
^^^^
EPIC
if
*»;i<>^
FUND I SHA HO MORE TEARS'
On Fundisha's debut, the sulky, sultry chanteuse casts herself as a hard-luck
victim who finds redemption in the big kiss-off. The song titles tell a sorry tale:
"It's Over Now," "Love Don't Live Here," "No More Tears," "Why Did You
Put Your Hands on Me?" But rather than cry into her pillow, Fundisha prefers
to blow elegant raspberries.
Hewingcloselytothesuccessfulgameplanmappedoutby ^yj j
R&B's myriad diva supremas, the New Jersey native swirls a
lazy Susan of styles before the listener. "L.D.D. Blues" is a !
bump-and-grind ballad
whose cautionary "my
man could be your man or
her man" chorus is the greatest jilted lover's
battle cry since MaryJ.'s 1995 "Not Gon'
Cry." "If You Knew" and "It's Over Now"
find Fundisha testifying over stutter-step
beats that make her sound like a dissident
from TLC.
Unfortunately, No More Tears is also
larded with ordinary inner-city case histories
about single moms and abandoned kids.
Lines like "My father used to drink a lot /
Mamma used to walk around smoking pot"
from "Never Taught Never Told" veer perilously close to Saturday Nigfjt L/w-style
parody. Still, Fundisha's got flavor and sass to spare, and No More Tears lands
enough punches to make her a legit contender. Marc Weingarlen
•(10*
High noon, Goree Island, off the coast of Senegal. Four Rastamen
approach the brooding tort-like structure where the horrors of the
Western passage began for millions of newly enslaved Africans. The
Rastamen have traveled from Jamaica, at the behest of Senegal's
musical scion, Baaba Maal. Phillip "Fattis" Burrell (the producer
behind rcggae's red-hot Xtcrminator label) is there along with singers
Mtkey General, Luciano, and a wiry young deejay called Sizzla. All
four have toured the world together, playing roots reggae. But they
haven't come here to play.
Even the noontime sun cannot penetrate the blackness within the slave
island's dungeons. "They have a door called the Door of No Return," Mikey
General recalls. "They said that we wouldn't return, but we did. We broke that
spell." All four returned from the journey to the island changed men. Sizzla's
recordings and performances came to be dominated by wrathful outbursts
and a tendency to "fire-burn" everyone from the Queen of England to Jesus
Christ As Sizzla blazed even hotter, Luciano seemed to
become more serene.
"Ulterior Motive" wist-
fully questioned the sincerity of his friends, while "Final Call" and "Hold
Strong* evoked images of Armageddon. Just as his fourth album for
Xtcrminator, Sweep Over My Soul (VP), was completed, Luciano parted com-
pany with Fattis, breaking up one of the most successful teams in reggae.
"It wasn't the music, it was certain principles," explains General, who chose
to leave Xterminatorwith his bredren. "Luciano complained to Fattis about
some of Sizzla's lyrics. We still love Sizzla, but he's a bit hard of heanng."
"This is a conflict of interest," says
Luciano. "In many cases 1 see bredda Sizzla
not really acknowledging the truth . Just like
the prodigal son, if he's not ready to rec-
oncile with the Almighty, he can go back
to his father's place after him get lick up an
ting out ah road. I don't have any malice
for him. 1 hope that the Almighty will guide
him as he unravels the truth."
Midnight, Oracabessa, Jamaica. The
night air crackles with approaching elec-
trical storms and vehement debate. "Look
at that star in the sky," says Mutabaruka,
the outspoken Rastafarian poet. "Can
you tell me who put it there?" "Yes, my
brother," replies Luciano. "The Lord God
Jah-hoviah, our Lord and savior Jess-us
Chrislus who now reveal himself in the personality of His Imperial Majesty
Emperor Haile Selassie I-Jah...Raaastafari!" "You know that for sure?" Muta
challenges, testing the limits of the singer's faith. Troubled at his radical skep-
ticism, Luciano's thoughts coalesce into a single question. "Who do you pray
to?" "I pray to myself^" Muta begins, but before he can explain how God
does not live in the sky, Luciano prepares to leave. Then, with something
like sadness in his voice, he adds: "Then I pray for you."
— Fringe to Fore (Mystic Urchin Music)
— Studio One Showcase Volume 1 (Heartbeat)
— Everyone Falls In Love (VP)
ick Sounds of Freedom (Artists Only!)
-^Jah Light (Ras)
182 V I ■ •
"GUILTY BY
ASSOCIATION"
THE ALBUM &
THE MOVIE...
IN STORES NOW!
www.section8mob.com
"WHEN THE 8 MOB ROLLS THROUGH!"
M/lRKETIIW
301-421-4911
| TommY
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CIBO MATTO 'STHUHITYPE A ""■
LUSCIOUS JACKSO 'ELECTRIC HUNEY'
BRAND ROYAL CAPITOL
Since their arrival on the downtown
New York City music scene, trans-
planted Japanese pastiche artists Cibo
Matto and basketball-sawy retro-funk
players Luscious Jackson have estab-
lished themselves as leading avatars of
loungy hipster style. Hanging outwith
the Beastie Boys, wearing the coolest
new sneakers, and listening to the
grooviest of vintage records long
before John Q; Public discovers them,
the two girl groups have always
ensured themselves invitations to all
the right parties. Both outfits, though,
have been less than entirely successful
in establishing themselves as musical
forces to be reckoned with. Their earlier records-Cibo's American debut, Viva!
la Woman (Warner Bros., 1996), and Luscious's first three Grand Royal offerings,
1992's In Search of Manny, 1994's Natural Ingredients, and 1996's Fever in Fever Out—
might've been ahead of their time soundwise and ideologically, but they lacked
the dynamic songwriting that would've separated them from the pack.
Cibo Matto's new Stereotype A is a punchy, danceable collection of original
instrumentation and sampling with flashes of '80s electro pop. "Working for
Vacation" features a sharp organ riff and lyrics detailing a sense of personal dis-
placement that seems a by-product of life on the busy streets ofManhattan. The
cute, quirky pair spend much of the album tackling issues close to home: love
affairs, friendships, public image, and-get this-kitchen utensils. "Flow-
ers," a petal-light bossa nova tune, alerts men to the futility of flora as
a make-up implement, while the rap-friendly "Sci-Fi Wasabi*-
a
ostensibly about cycling around Manhattan-recounts the diffi- ce
culties of city existence.though it ends with the line, "Downtown
still sends me up in the sky." Pleasant.
Over the years, Luscious Jackson's song structures have grown
increasingly complex. On Natural Ingredients, the mix was simpler: guitars play-
ing alongside beat boxes. Fever's sound was more mature, with timed snippets
and space-age sound effects complementing rather than overrunning the gende
melodies. The new Electric Honey picks up where Fever left oft", but the songs
sound more open and seem
more at ease with their pop
sensibility. Sometimes itworks,
as on "Nervous Breakthrough,"
which puts a house beat under-
neath lead singerjill CunnifFs
airy vocals. But at other times,
one suspects that certain ele-
ments-drum 'n' bass break-
beats, for instance, courtesy of
British DJ Alex Young-have
been added just because they
happen to be en vogue.
Their shared status as down-
town darlings isn't enough to make Cibo Matto and Luscious Jackson really
matter musically. A middling record is a middling record. But each of these
groups show a willingness to push themselves further, taking experimental
approaches to creating what is essentially pop music. Who knows, maybe their
next records will provide some powerful substance to match that superior
sense of style. Chiedo Nkwocha
BLACK RORIIFE STORY' u " n
i
Of
>•
o
Black Rob's debut, Life Story, is a grimy adven-
ture that'll probably make him a feared man
in corporate America, but revered in the hip
hop world. He's incredibly adept at con-
structing graphic, autobiographical episodes
and intricate tales. With his adamantine gaze,
raspy voice, and stormy aura, Black Rob is the
closest thing to the late, great Notorious B.I.G.
Replete with fluid production from the
Hitmen, Life Story is an emotional ride full
of hardship and pain, especially the haunting
title track, on which Rob recalls growing
I up with an alcoholic mother. He seeks to
I avenge a friend's murder on the thunderous
! "Lookin' at Us," featuring Cee-Lo, and
dreams of a better life on the intense "Can I Live," featuring the Lox. And
the rowdy hit single "I Dare You," which first appeared on the 1998 sound-
track for the movie Slam (Immortal/Epic), sounds just as good on the
hundredth listen as it did on the first.
However, Life Story does have its occasional detractions, like Puffy's irritating
ad-libs on "Make It Hot" and PutPs wannabe-rough rhymes on "Down the Line."
Also, "Spanish Fly" is a little too light and fluffy to suit Rob's hardcore style. But
that doesn't change the fact that although the album gets down and dirty, Life
Story is a breath of fresh air. Miguel Burke
PRODIGY 'PRESENT THE DIRTCHAMRER
SESSIONS VOLUME ONE" 1
You've probably never heard of DJ Liam Howlett, even though many loyal
fans consider him the mastermind behind Prodigy's music. For years, the
visual spectacle of fire-startin' Keith Flint, bare-chested Maxim Reality,
and macaroni-limbed Leeroy Thornhill has provided a convenient foil to
the British dance-rock band's cliche-strewn recorded work. Now, Howlett
has come clean on Present the Dirtchamber Sessions Volume One.
Pilfering through his personal record collection, he unearths
o nearly every single act that has helped shape Prodigy's beat-
^* infused racket. So we get the Ultramagnetic MC's doing "Give the
4 1 0 Drummer Some" (1 988), which provided the scandalous catchphrase
for 1 997's "Smack My Bitch Up." We get Public Enemy, whose apocalyptic
sirens and breaks Prodigy lifted wholesale for its production department.
Then we get the Sex Pistols, who provide the original punk-clown blue-
print for Flint. Howlett's old nemeses, the Beastie Boys, even get a spin
as "Time to Get III" (1 986) slyly gets pushed into Barry White's "I'm Gonna
Love You Just a Little More Baby" (1 973). There are other eclectic names
in the mix as well (Grandmaster Flash, Jane's Addiction, Herbie Hancock),
but with more than 50 tracks crammed into less than an hour of space with
little-to-no apparent planning, the only thing we're left with is an under-
cooked Prodigy album. Aidin Vaziri
VIII 18S
THE OFFICIAL MIKTAPE OF 1999
4RAMVKUS 'PRESENTS
1 11 :-hm: mosdef. the high & mighty
REFLECTION ETERNAL mm kweu & dj hi tiki, COMPANY FLOW.
flSfflj PKAROAHE MONCH SHABAAM SAHDEEQ & LYRICIST LOUNGE.
THISISAN
0> _ . _
A/B CONVERSATION
FLY TRACKS OR WACK WAX? ASK OUR RESIDENT CRITICS, ARB.
A: Is ihis "Night to Remember?" B: Yeah, it's that
Shalamar shit. You can't blame Mase tor wanting
people to dance. A: Oh, God. The thing is that he
doesn't change up. Everything he does is completely
^ indistinguishable. B: True, but this is a fun song. It's
g not supposed to be deep. A: His problem is that he
I nas no wlem to speak of. B: You're so harsh. We'll
I see what he does with this album. He'll get at least a
^HK ^Bs^ 5 million in sales, even ifyou think his 15 minutes are
■— a almost over. A: Do we have to listen to the whole
thing? B: [laughs] You know, the first time I heard Mase on a mix tape he was
a pretty good MC. A: No he wasn't! His subject matter may have been differ-
ent, but that doesn't change what he is inside: wack\
ESTINY'S CHILD
tion Pic
A: It reminds me of "No, no, no, no, no. . .Yeah,
yeah, yeah." B: Naw\ This has a little funky
beat to it. That's that Mocha chick from Tim-
baland's camp.yo. A: She sounds like Missy
with a head cold. B: [laughs] Naw, but she
has a little sexy voice. You can hear it. A: Okay.
B: I think she sounds cute and the beat is funky. _
A: It's been done before. B: This song is not <
bad. A: It's fast-forward music. B: It's cool. S
TRICK DADDY
A: The return ofTrick Daddy. B: You can hear that
he has heart and he'sWfow^aboutsomething. He's
not on some dumb lyrics. He's talking about back
in the days and how things were when ... A: I don't
understand how that alone validates his music. His
flow is disjointed. It's very start-and-stop-you can't
follow it. His lyrics aren't clever and the beat is repul-
sive. B: C'mon! The beat is real cinematic. A: No,
J it's... B: It's definitely on that tip, but I've heard
° better production. I'd rather listen to Juvenile's
j "Ha." A: It sounds like a demo, amateurish. B: That's
S the beauty of it. That it's so rough, knowwhatl'm-
sayin'? It's basement style. A: So you think that's what he was^o/agfor? B: Hell
yeah. I think he was going for some nigga gutter shit. A: [sarcastieally] Okay.
DONELL JONES
B: Nice acoustic guitars. Song sounds kinda trivial.
A: Oh, man... B: But I like what he's trying to do.
A: All of these singers fit into the same mold.
B: They don't try to elevate the game like
D'Angelo, huh? A: Not at all. You know this sounds
really R. Kelly-ish to me. B: It does. He's talented,
but I think he's gonna be lumped into that whole
little category withjesse Powell and the rest of 'em. S
They're almost like Baskin-Robbins ice cream. |
There's lots of different flavors, but it's all really »
the same thing.
B.G.'CHOPPER CITY IN THE GHETTO'
CASH MONEY/UNIVEflSAL
If hip hop were to give out an award for
child prodigies, B.G. would undoubt-
edly be a shoo-in. At just 18 years old he's
already on his fifth solo album (although
it's his first major release), Chopper City
in the Ghetto, a clever collection of
painfully vivid urban narratives.
With his nasal monotone and satiny
flow, Baby Gangsta (also a member of
Cash Money's Hot Boys) forces listen-
ers to feel every word he's saying. He runs
down his street credentials for potential
foes on "Made Man," a laid-back track
with a killer bass line and
o
tight syncopated snares.
I On"RealNiggaz,*a (
5 moody mid-tempo
\ tune laced with a jazz-
I guitar nft and horr
arrangement that could've easily been lifted from an old Albert King
record, B.G. reflects on the bleak conditions ofhis New Orleans neighborhood.
And when it comes to bragging about his newfound material wealth, B.G. can
hang with the best of them-check the bouncy, dancehall-inspired "Bling Bling"
and the R&B-peppered "Cash Money Roll" for proof. Chopper City in the
Ghetto is a strong effort from one of Cash Money's hella hottest boys.
Charlie R. Braxton
TODD TERRY 'RESOLUTIONS'
ASTRAIWF.RKS
2K
In the insular realm of house music, loyalty and consistency are essential.
Deviation is not merely frowned upon, it's forbidden — particularly if you're
among the few to rise above the claustrophobic clutter of sample-happy
dubs and disco rip-offs. To that end, famed producer/DJ Todd Terry is
asking for a heap of trouble. Deservedly revered for transforming such
initially forgettable ditties as Everything but the Girl's 1 995 "Missing" into
pop hits, he's bravely broadened his groove palette to include electronica
on the startling, often bril-
liant Resolutions — and
there's nary a house beat to
be found.
It's a ballsy, ultimately
savvy move that more
dance artists should make.
Prior to this disc, Terry was
floundering in a wave of
tedium that was perilously
close to rendering him per-
manently irrelevant. By at
least temporarily moving
away from familiar territory, he's rattled his own cage, thus upping his own
creative ante, and he's raised the bar for others to meet. Largely instru-
mental, save for the occasional chant or rant, the set brings a white-knuckled
grit and soul to electronica that it's been sorely lacking from its media-induced
explosion several years ago. Terry may piss off some of his house-headed
disciples, but the smart and adventurous ones will eventually find valor in his
desire to break new ground. Larry-Flick
VIII 187
— ' J
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Who gives a fuck about a goddamn Juno, you ask? Toronto's
Choclairfbronc. In 1997, the 24 year-old MCwon the Canadian equiv-
alent of'a Grammy for Best Rap Recording for his EP, What It Takes.
Last year, the grand imperial DJ Premier acknowledged Choclair by
slicinga line from his "Just a Second (Remix)" into the chorus of Gang
Starr's "You Know My Steez." Unfortunately, being one of the most
accomplished hip hop artists way up north can still mean being gen-
erally ignored down here in the States. If the thumping sound of his
latest indie banger. "Flagrant" (Knee Deep, 718-694-9335). is any
indication though, Choclair's not havin' it no more. Over a scratch-
heavy, Saukratcs-produced track, all snakes and shit-talkers get a serious
tongue-lashing: "You apologize, want me on your side t Nah, fuck it, take-
it back / You got wack shit!" For-
get Oreos, eat Choclair cookies.
Granted, Long Branch, New
Jersey's Perverted Dialect have
saddled themselves with a pro-
totypical ly poor Backpackers of
the Underground-style name.
That shouldn't stop cynics from
checking out P.D.'s surprisingly
dexterous three-song maxi-single.
The menacing "Slang Murder"
and the likeably smoothed-out
"These Words" deliver the
expected: true-to-the-rap-game
sentiments amid heartfelt promises of verbal homicide. But the series of
amusingly freaky phone-sex teases and befween-the-sheets boastings found
on "1-900-DIALECT" (New World Order, 732-544-8092) actually make
good use of the troupe's awkward moniker.
"Now pull your
phone close so you can hear clearly / An orgy in Eden is
my Big Bang Theory," yields guaranteed satisfaction.
Some of you may be surprised to hear that Brick City kid El da Sensci has
resurfaced without longtime Artifacts cohort Tame One. However, El's latest
single, "Frontline"-also available on the multi-flavored German underground
compilation Supcrrappin (Groove Attack, 49-22i-9529i9o/Ubiquity,4i5-864-
8448)-features an impressive all-star lineup of Organized Konfusion, Mike
Zoot, and F.T. of Street Smartz. Lines like F.T.'s "Pm not some rap nigga that
you're dyin' to meet / Just another brother who's hungry and tryin' to eat"
and producer Shawn J. Period's harps-n-horns-laced magic-carpet ride con-
jure visions of a hip hop Utopia where dope MCs can rhyme without stress.
On the just-as-worthy B side, "All Rise," El shines solo over chiming electric
vibes with lyrics like, "For facts of the matter, my chatter's amplified / Supplied
by the vibe abstract / Self-written like Ben Affleck." Author, author!
HEAVY ROTATION:
—Backs AT Necks EP
(Large Entertainment, 718-321-7385)
— "On Deadly Ground"
(Blackberry, 81 8-891-341 5)
— "The Final Friction"
(Raw Shack, 718-230-1233)
—"My Word"
(Pentagon, 212-619-5044)
—Rhyme Related EP
(Wreck/Nervous, 212-273-1 135)
Reading file...
188 VIII
DON'T FEAR THE NAME, THE FAME AND THE FURY OF
NOONTIME/EPIC
JIM CROW 'CROWS NEST
If you heard their name and are
expecting Atlanta-based trio Jim
Crow to talk about the oppression
of black folks or to drop spiritually
uplifting jams like OutKast or to
kick deep sociopolitical commen-
tary like Goodie MOb, don 't. On
their exceptional debut, Crow's
Nest, Cartel, Motown, and Polow
are strictly on some everyday-thug-
livin' kind of vibe, with just a touch
of twisted humor.
Jim Crow come ofFlovely in the
lyrics department, rocking rushed
conversational flows and tight
rhymes that are often filled with
satire, especially tracks like "Bandits," "Low, Low," and "Big Dreams." And the
beats are nothing short of excellent. A judicious blend of live instrumentation
and sparse samples, Crow's Afa/sizzles with cuts like the lead single, "That Dra-
ma," which features a liquid bass line that sounds like Bootsy Collins in his
prime. "Short Change" wins with its shimmering acoustic guitar riffs and pow-
erful mid-tempo beat. "One ofThese Days," an incredible mix of hip hop, funk,
and soul, is one of the album's best tracks. Crow's Nest is certainly a worthy
first showing, and Jim Crow arc giving the world yet another reason to turn to
Atlanta and give thanks. Charlie R. Braxton
CHEMICAL BROTHERS 'SURRENDER ' smmm
Ever wondered why the outside world suddenly started paying attention
to electronic music around the same time the Chemical Brothers released
their debut, Dig Your Own Hole (Astralwerks, 1 997)? It might
have had something to do with the London club duo's
•f- natural gift for fusing booming hip hop beats, crunchy
OS co
^ rock guitars, and all sorts of computer mayhem into one
^ kinetic bundle, making each track sound like the Beastie
Boys on a weekend bender.
Two years aftertheir Grammy-winning techno uprising, Tom Rowlands
and Ed Simons return with Surrender. It would be easy to read the title as
a battle cry against the succession of Chemical impostors that rose in
their wake, particularly considering
the dramatic stylistic shifts that come
with it. In a slippery move, the group
casts aside its trademark B-boy pos-
turing and lets its softer European
roots show. Surrender contains only
traces of the urban American influ-
ences that dominated Dig YourOwn
Hole. Here, the emphasis is on acid-
drenched house rhythms and smooth
bass breaks, as pasty-faced vocal-
ists like Oasis's Noel Gallagher and
Kraftwerk-style robots fill in gaps that
were once occupied by Schoolly D
samples. The homogenization of
sound would be disappointing — if
only it weren't so damn infectious.
Aidin Vaziri
VI8B 189
Tom Rowlands (front) and
Ed Simons
LI
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BACK
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To order back issues of VIBE send issue date or cover description
and $7 per copy (check or money order made out to ISI-VIBE) to:
IS I. 30 Montgomery St. Jersey City, NJ 07302 Att: Back Issues.
Or call 1-800-544-6748. Allow four to six weeks for delivery.
JTMOHEVPIMPinr ON WW' — «-»
JT Money is the man responsible for 1995's "Shake What Your Mama Gave Ya."
And don't front, you shook it. On his first solo set, Money adds nothing new to
the pimped-out, playalistic genre he popularized four years ago with the Poison
Clan, but the pioneer still knows how to make crowds rush the dance floor.
The disco-dipped beat borrowed from
the Sugarhill Gang's 1982 "8th Wonder-
sounds brand-new on the catchy, Dallas
Austin-produced "Rap Ass Nigga."
Austin also provides slick R&B-flavored
production on "Somethin' About
Pimpin'," featuring Too Short at the top
of his lyrical game. And the traditional,
upbeat call-and-response chorus on
| = - "Playa Shit" ("What this is? / It's some
playa-ass shit!") never goes out of style.
II Smooth, bouncy songs like "Kite to the
Boyz" and the fiercely energetic "Whatcha
IE Want" are perfect for flossin' at the club
in your Sunday best or drinking malt liquor on your front stoop wearing rube
socks and slippers. If you're not from the dirty South, JT's lyrics are indeci-
pherable at times, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. A lot of bass music is
full of derogatory lyrics, and Pimpin' on Wax is no different. But the funkdafied
tracks are addictive. So you can either complain or keep on shaking your thang.
Aliya S. King
702702'
MOTOWN
CO
What a difference two years make. Since being nurtured into prominence
by R&B Svengali Michael Bivins, teen act 702 has matured into a clique of
assertive young women. A credible soul swagger and ample sensuality have
replaced the precocious pop-music references that framed their 1 996 hit
"Steelo" and 1997's "Get It Together." No, they haven't gone hooch. But
they have gathered the experience and confidence needed , . .
v \j 1 / 0 .
to divorce themselves from the pack of factory-stamped T,
one-album wonders.
This fine, self-titled project wisely reconnects Kamee- c ,
lah Williams, 21 , and sisters Irish and Lemisha Grinstead, ^4
19 and 21, with red-hot Missy Elliott (who produced and
appears on "Steelo") on "Where My Girls At," a face-crackin' anthem just
waiting to happen, and the languid, warmly introspective "You Just Never
Know." Although they hold their own with other high-profile producers
(including Rick "Dutch" Cousin and Warryn "Smiley" Campbell of Dru Hill
fame), it's with La Elliott that their growth is most evident and their chemistry
most potent. Lotsa girl groups out there are racing to be a new-generation
En Vogue, and 702 could be the first to cross the finish line. Larry Flick
Copyrighted material
CHANTAY SAVAGE THIS TIME* m
Chantay Savage is best known for her 1996 remake of Gloria Gaynor's 1975
disco anthem "I Will Survive." Her satisfying third album, This q | j
77m£,isanattempttoquietthosepeskyone-hit-wonderwhispers 1» <^
once and for all. to 4
Savage is a very talented songwriter-all but two of the tracks, *
including Keith Sweat's forgettable "Come Around," were self- ^ ^
penned-and her voice is strong. With funky piano solos and ^ 7 0
haughty chuckles, she pays ade-
quate homage to Anita Baker's jazzy alto
on the sassy "Funny Ways." But on the
overwrought come-back-to-me ballad
"Just Can't Take This," Savage loses con-
trol of her powerful pipes and produces
guttural screams akin to a root-canal
patient without the anesthesia. When she
manages to rein in her voice on "My Oh
My," a hip-swaying, finger-snapping ode
to new love, the result is a sweet sound-
track for first-date candlelight dinners.
She turns in another exquisite perfor-
! mance on the title track, with notable
assistance from lush, choir-like background vocals.
Savage's talent is raw, much like Mariah Carey's was on her too-many-high-
notes self-titled debut. Carey succeeded in toning down her histrionics, and if
Savage wants to stop hearing those whispers for good, she should do the same.
Aliya S. King
BEFORE DARK WDREAMIN"
RCA
Every year, young black women band together in R&B groups to battle
each other for harmonic supremacy. No doubt you remember the Jade,
Brownstone, SWV, and En Vogue battles of the early '90s. Well, this year
gear up for the pre-bouts among
Blaque, Willie Max, and Before
Dark. If you don't yet know, Blaque
have a futuristic vibe goin'. Willie
Max are on the old-school funky
side. And Before Dark are like the
girls next door — if every girl on your
block sounded like Brandy.
Before Dark's debut, Day-
dreamin', is jammed like a hall
locker with boy-crazy songs,
ranging from the obsessive
("Always on My Mind") to the
provocative ("Push-N-Shove").
On "Come Correct," they tell
some boy "we could get it on
tonight" — something not even
grown-ass Monica is doing any-
more. And on another track, they tell some If knucklehead "It's All About
You." At least Mya had the womanist sense to sing "It's All About Me." The
album's overly abundant mid-tempo grooves are so derivative that they
may have R. Kelly, Timbaland, and Rodney Jerkins fixin' to sue. Never-
theless, because of the group's quite promising vocals, Before Dark are
just some new beats and a few lyanla Vanzant self-help books away from
being strong contenders in the girl-group games. Craig Seymour
...It's Back!!!
1999...
FEATURING ARTISTS LIKE. . .
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www.vprKoctfs.com
visa 191
Why are we living f or Mary J. Blige's funky new Cher-inspired look?
2. Why was Jennifer Lopez the only celeb-
rity who looked like Hollywood royalty at
the Oscars, with her hair in a bun, dipped
in diamonds, and wearing that gorgeous
Badgley Mischka ball
gown? 3. And why at
the Oscars could Ms.
Whitney Houston be
Hii^\r\r
heard shouting "Amen I" and
Uh huh!" while Whoopi
Goldberg spoke? 4. When
Lauryn Hill sang the
words "Don't be a
hard-rock when you
really are a gem," ya
think Da Brat, who
debuted her gorgeous
new look at this year's
Soul Train Awards in Los
Angeles, took them to
heart? 5. And speak-
ing of the Soul Train
Awards, why didn't
anyone tell Busta Rhymes that his fly was
wide open during his hyped performance?
6. And not to be mean, but didn't Kelly
Price look like a blue M&M while
performing at the awards in that too-tight
jumpsuit? 7. Isn't NBC's Will &• Grace one
of the funniest shows on TV? 8. If it weren't
for the sex appeal of Omar Epps and Claire
Danes, would there be any reason to see the
abominable film The Mod Squad} 9. After
seeing that sexy video for Bus-
ta's "What's It Gonna Be?!",
featuringjanet Jackson, ya
think Blackstreet cried
because they messed up
and turned Ms. Jackson
into a mere pinball for their video "Girl-
friend/Boyfriend?" 10. Don't the yummy
new LifeSavers cream candies taste like
little milkshakes? 11. Aren't Harlem
World really just another Junior
M.A.F.I.A., but without Lit* Kim?
12. Considering the fact that he only has one
single, why is rapper Eminem already head-
lining his own shows? 13. Not that there's
anything wrong with Chilean actress Leonor
Varela, but don't you think ABC could've
at least gotten an Egyptian or dark-skinned
actress to play the Queen of the Nile in
its upcoming four-hour, $30 million
Cleopatra mega-miniseries? 14. So
after Robert De Niro's Ana-
lyze This, how many more
Mob-boss movies do you
think he has left in him?
15. Why do we keep hear-
ing people say that singer
Tyrese has taken model Tyson Beckford's
place, as if two fine, black male hard-bodies
couldn't exist at the same time? 16. After
seeing Laurence Fishburne kick virtual ass
in his new flick, The Matrix, we wonder who
would win if Fishburne had to fight Blade's
Wesley Snipes in the battle of the black
martial-arts superstars? 17. If D'Angelo has
time to perform with Eric Clapton at the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, why hasn't he
found the time to release his long-
awaited sophomore album?
18. Since when (and how) did
beaded stocking caps become
stylish? 19. The new animated
series Futurama is dope, but
don't you keep wishing Homer or Bart
would show up to give the future some
sorely needed Simpsons flavor? 20. And
finally, now that Loud Records presi-
dent/CEO Steve Rifkind has a multi-
million-dollar deal wth Miramax to make
films, you think we'll
soon see the Wu-
Tang Clan starring
in a remake of
1976's The Bad
News Bears?
182 v
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THE DETAILS
VI BEFashion: "Wipe Out"
page 1 48-1 49: From left: White cotton unk top and blue nylon board shorts, both
by NSU (for more information, please call 714-545-8226); sneakers by Vans; back-
pack by Oakley; surfboard by Pat Rawson; black cotton basic crewneck T-shirt $13
by Calvin Klein Underwear available at Macy's, Bloomingdalc's, and Burdines
stores nationwide; blue nylon shorts $45 by Volcom available at Val Surf, L.A., B-
Sidc, N.Y.C., and Used Shelter, Minnesota; boots by Timberland; sunglasses by
Jen; backpack by Oncil; board by Xanadu; nylon tank top by Kona Waena Wild-
cats; navy corduroy cargo shorts S40 by Hurley available at The Buckie, Salt Lake
City, Paragon Sportswear, N.Y.C, and select Bloomingdale's stores nationwide;
sneakers by DC; board by John Carpenter; straw hat by Le Hat; backpack by Hur-
ley; white cotton T-shirt $17, gray and black nylon shorts $48, white bucket hat, and
backpack, all by Ezekiel (for more information, please call 949-955-1106); sneak-
ers by Reef; watch by Swatch; glasses by Smith; board by Cordcll.
page 1 50: Neon green and white nylon floral-print board shorts by NSU (for more
information, please call 714-545-8226).
page 1 51 : Blue viscose Jamaica Spirit tropical-print shirt S58 by GUESS? (for more
information, please call 800-39-GUESS?); blue and red board shorts S49 by
Hurley available at Paragon Sportswear, N.Y.C., Huntington Sulfa Sport, California,
and select Bloomingdalc's stores nationwide; white bucket hat by GAP; surf-
board by John Carpenter.
page 1 52: Orange nylon board shorts S48 by Ezekiel (for more information, please
call 949-955-1106).
page 153: White cotton tae kwon do dragon-print shirt $58 by Tommy Jeans
available at major department stores nationwide; red nylon "Elmore" cargo shorts
with white piping S48 by Mossimo available at Macy's stores nationwide; mesh
hat by Hemp.
page 154-155: From left: Burgundy "Hawaii Five-O" woven cotton and rayon
three-quarter-sleeve shirt S38 and hat, both by PNB Nation available at Macy's stores
nationwide; navy nylon floral shorts S48 by Quicksilver available at Quicksilver
stores and major department stores nationwide; white cotton tank top S11 by Fruit
of the Loom available at major department stores nationwide; black nylon board
shorts S48 by Ezekiel (for more information, please call 949-955-1106); watch by
Swatch; cream, green and blue floral cotton and rayon button-down shirt $45 by
Club (for more information, please call 800- ITS-CLUB); blue corduroy shorts $40
by Hurley (for more information, please call 949-548-9375); navy nylon board shorts
with baby blue and white floral border by NSU (for more information, please call
714-545-8226); blue and yellow towel by Nautica.
VIBEStyle: "Criminal-Minded"
page 156-157: From left: Black cotton sleeveless sweatshirt $49 by GUESS?
available at GUESS? stores nationwide; black cotton cargo sweatpants $70 by Avirex
available at The Cockpit, N.Y.C., and Jimmy Jazz, N.Y.C., (for more information,
please call 800-2-AVIREX); slides by Fila; socks by Champion; black cotton sleeve-
less T-shirt S20 by Everlast (for more information, please go to itww.tvertastusa.com);
black cotton fleece cargo sweatpants $55 by Pelle Pelle (for more information, please
call 888-279-3949); navy cotton rib tank top with gray trim S18 by Unionbay avail-
able at Canal Jeans, N.Y.C., and major department stores nationwide; white mesh
tear-away pants $54 by Tommy Hilfiger Athletics available at select Macy's, Dillard's,
and Bloomingdalc's stores nationwide; watch by Techno Marine; black cottonT-shirt
S15 by Champion available at Foot Locker stores nationwide; orange nylon cargo
pant $68 by 555 Soul available at Up Against the Wall, Washington, D.C, Indigo Flowers,
L.A., and Triple 5 Soul, N.Y.C; boxers by Giorgio New York; boots by Timberland;
beige linen button-down short-sleeve shirt S52 and beige linen cargo pant $68, both
by 555 Soul available at Up Against the Wall, Washington, D.C, Indigo Flowers, LA.,
and Triple 5 Soul, N.Y.C; boots by Timberland; watch by GUESS?,
page 158: Blackcotton T-shirt $15 by Champion available at Foot Locker stores
nationwide.
page 1 59: From left: Burgundy and gray cotton ragian T-shirt S55 and burgundy cot-
ton sweatpants S70, both by Phat Farm available at Phat Farm, N.Y.C. and South
Beach, Miami; socks by Tommy Hilfiger; boots by Timberland; watch by Nike;
Walkman by Panasonic Shock Wave; light blue denim long-sleeve shirt $40 by Levi's
(continued on paga 196)
Shaman, Natina and Brands present their acclaimed setf-titled debut,
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Features songs produced by R. Kelly, Track Masters, Ric Wake and Marian Carey.
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I THE DETAILS
(continued from page 194)
available at Levi's stores and major department stores nationwide; navy linen cotton
cargo pant $68 by 555 Soul available at Up Against the Wall, Washington, D.C., Indigo
Flowers, L.A., and Triple 5 Soul, N.Y.C.; orange cotton nylon twill flight suit $120 by
Avirex available at The Cockpit, N.Y.C., and Jimmy Jazz, N.Y.C., (for more information,
please call 800-2 -AVI REX); boots by Timbcrland; watch by Techno Marine.
Gear: "Catch in' Rays"
page 160: From top to bottom: 1) 1612/s sunglasses S180 by Gucci available at Gucci
boutiques nationwide; 2) 110/ s/706 sunglasses $150 by Emporio Armani available
at Emporio Armani boutiques nationwide; 3) Black sunglasses S65 by Tommy
Hilfiger available at Macy's, Dillard's, and Bloomingdale's stores nationwide; 4) RLX
Ri sunglasses $100 by Polo Sport available at Polo Sport stores nationwide; 5) Blue
electricity "Gazelle" sunglasses $130 by Adidas (for more information, please call
800-223-0180 x 248); 6) "Mad Wrap" sunglasses $119 by Revo (for more information,
please call 800-472-9226; 7) "Roxy" sunglasses S45 by GUESS? Eyewear available
at GUESS? stores nationwide; 8) Silver N5004F sunglasses S130 by Nau tica available
at Sunglass Hut stores nationwide; 9) 474/A sunglasses $190 by Versace available at
Versace boutiques nationwide; 10) "Predator One" $99 by Ray Ban (for more infor-
mation, please call 800-4-RAYBAN; 11) Green tinted "Ravine" sunglasses S75 by
Timbcrland (for more information, please call 800-445-5545); 12 ) "Coup" sunglasses
$119 by Killer Loop for more information, please call 800-472-9226); 13) Aqua "Rage"
sunglasses $118 by Wink (for more information, please call 212-760-0262 or 310-372-2595);
14) cK 1012/11 sunglasses S125 by cK Eyewear available at Calvin Klein stores nation-
wide or (for more information, please go to www.marshon.com; 15) FC 199 "Ice"
sunglasses $145 by Fendi available at Fendi stores nationwide or (for more information,
please go to wutw.marcbon.com).
Sneak Peek: Air Terreo S65 by Nike (for more information, please call 800-352-NIKE).
VIBEFace: MakirV Moves
page 1 62: White bikini with green trim $68 by Tommy Hilfiger available at Macy's
stores nationwide; violet cashmere hoodie $155 by F.A.L by Jeffrey Griibb avail-
able at Barneys New York, N.Y.C., Stagman, Glcncoc, III., and Sybil, San Francisco;
white cotton carpenter jeans $68 by Tommy Jeans available at major department
stores nationwide.
Tech: "Five Alive"
page 173: Birthdatc S19.95, by Fahl (888-888-9231 or www.birthdate.com); JctTzlker
$169 by DynaFirm (800-467-1459 oxwww.dynafirm.com); Earthmate $149 by DeLorme
(800-452-5931 or mew.delorme.com); Synapse Pager Card by PageMart Wireless,
(888-318-2010 or www.pagemart.com); Froggy S10 by Pilotfan, www.pilotfart.com/jroggy;
InfoRover Select $29.95 DV Pendragon (847-816-9660 or www.pendragpn-iqftware.com);
Small Talk $79.99 by Concept Kitchen (888-611-PDAS or www.conceptkitcben.com);
IntelliGolf $29.95, $79-95 w ' tn golf-cart mount, by Karrier Communications
(800-741-9070 or www.intettigolfcom); Peel-It $49.95 by Orang-Otang (916-446-0705 or
www.orang-oiang.com); DietLog and ExcerLog $89 by Softcare Clinical Informatics
(206-780-1729 or www.dietlog.com); Quicken $39.95 by Landware (800-526-3977
or www.tandware.com); ExpensePlus $69 by Walletware (800-640-2058 or
www.waBetware.com); Duo $35 by Cross (800-510-9660 or www.cross-pcg.com); Titanium
Hardcase $99.95 by RhinoSkin (307-734-8833 oxwww.rbinoskin.com); Pilotgear H.Q.
Stylus $14.95 {www.pilotgear.com); for Palm V and accessories call 800-881-7256 or go
to palmorder.modusmedia.com).
VIBE* magazine (ISSN 1070-4701)15 published monthly (except for combined Decem-
ber/January and June/July issues) by VIBE Venture*. 215 Lexington Avenue, New York, N.Y.
10016. Penodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y., and additional mailing offices. Postma-
ster Send address changes to VIBE magazine. Box 59580, Boulder, CO 80328-
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$30.00; all other countnes $50.00 payable in advance in U.S. Kinds. GST# R125160309. Vol.
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may be copied or reproduced without permission from VIBE. Subscription requests, address
changes, and adjustments should be directed to VI BE, Box 59580, Boulder, CO 80322-9580,
or call 800-477-397). Please print name and address clearly. VIBE cannot be responsible for
unsolicited materials. VIBE is a trademark of VI BE Ventures.
196 visa
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V PROPS
The Jets
Finish this lyric: "How did you know / 'Cause
I never told / You found out..."
■ f you said "I've got a crush on you," you
I not only remember the Jets — the eight-
I member Tongan-American sibling crew of
late-'80s fame — you can probably bust the
side-stepping moves Leroy, Eddie. Eugene.
Haini, Rudy, Kathi, Elizabeth, and Moana
Wolfgramm did in the video for their 1 986 hit.
Beginning as a hula-dancing, fire-eating
Polynesian troupe that toured hotels, the
Jets — named after the tartly tough gang from
West Side Story — dropped five Top 1 0 hits
between 1 986 and 1 989. Can't you hear 'em
now? "Crush on You," "Rocket 2 U," "You
Got It All." Catchy, simple, and full of home-
room angst, the Jets' infectious beats and
synthesized horn arrangements captured
the hormone-laden pain of unrequited high
school love.
In those days, sweet dreams were made
of these devout Mormons with the work
ethic of the Jackson 5 and the sugary-sweet
sound of DeBarge. Their squeaky-clean
image and Osmondy optimism made us
believe that if we took a few voice lessons,
practiced hard enough, and rocked those
bright colors and crisp collars, we too could
land a multimillion-dollar, seven-album deal
with MCA, pick up an American Music
Award for Best New Artist (1 986), and play
for the President of the United States and
the king of Tonga.
Six years later, though, the band filed for
bankruptcy. The fickle teen market had
turned on them, the New Kids on the Block
were the flavor of the week, and the
S1 2 million the Jets had earned from tours
had dwindled to less than S1 million. Since
MCA dropped them in 1 992, the group has
released two albums — 1995 s fluffy-bear
Love People (Liberty Park) and last year's
gospel-tinged Love Will Lead the Way
(Shadow Mountain) — but neither sold more
than 8,000 copies.
Still, the Wolfgramm brood is not down
for the count. Today, Eddie manages a
Hollywood Video store and Kathi's a
customer-service agent for United Airlines in
San Francisco. Elizabeth's married and living
in Provo, Utah; Moana sings local Utah
commercial jingles: and Eugene's a basket-
ball coach at Salt Lake City's West High
School. Original members Haini, Leroy, and
Rudy have rounded up their seven younger
siblings and moved to the Los Angeles area,
where a Y2K version of the group currently
works the casino-lounge circuit.
As long as puppy-love fantasies fill
tender teen dreams, the Wolfgramm fam's
bubble-gum tunes, whether by new Jets or
old, will surely continue to pop.
Rochetl Thomas
Copyrighted material
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; 2
SOME ROCK
PLATINUM
(OTHERS, ICE)
STEP UP. YOUR DRINK IS WAITING.
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